PMD: Black Hole Sun
by XfoxxbloodX
Summary: Three and a half years of peace followed the fall of Darkrai. But something was...wrong...about this peace. Treecko and his friend Mudkip, apprentices at Wigglytuff's Guild, are pulled into the mystery by their heroes, and have to fight to survive.
1. Team Who?

Hello! It's been a long time, hasn't it? :3 Anyway, I wanted to kick off my return with something I've been planning for a while now.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and my team/characters I made up. :3

This story takes place roughly three and a half years after the post-ending of defeating Darkrai. (Which means the levels of the team who did all that saving are in the mid to upper eighties. Just so you know.) Things are normal, and everything is calm…mostly. A new team joined the Guild: Team Treekip, made of Treecko and Mudkip. They work hard, and are keeping up smoothly. But a daily errand turns into something much more exciting.

…~-CHAPTER ONE: Team Who?

"And three! Smiles go for miles!" the Guild members cheered. Another day, another routine. Nothing huge had popped up lately, which was also fitting in the pattern. Ever since Darkrai had been defeated by the now legendary Team Sky, things had been peaceful. Even a storm had the air of calm. The days of calamity were over…

Right?

Treecko was paying less attention to the morning briefing than usual. He was off in his own thoughts again. Surely, after three and a half years, something was bound to happen, right? He shook his head quickly, realizing he seemed to be _asking_ for trouble.

_Ah!_ he exclaimed silently, alarmed by his own train of thought. _I don't _want_ something bad to happen! I'm perfectly fine with peace and quiet!_

"Hey, Treecko!"

He snapped out of his reverie and looked to his left. There was Mudkip, head tipped to the side, her eyes full of questions and playfulness.

"Did you drift off again?" she asked, amused.

Treecko rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Eh, sorry. What did Chatot assign us today?"

She flicked her tail back and forth a little. "We hafta go to Keckeon Market and see how many Perfect Apples they have."

It was true. The Market had agreed to stock them after Team Sky suggested it just over three years ago, on a calm day not unlike this one. Still, Treecko groaned.

"Another errand?" he complained. "This is the third day in a row."

Mudkip sighed, heading for the ladder. "Yeah, it kinda stinks, but we don't have much of a choice, do we?"

"Mm," Treecko replied, scaling both ladders with no problem at all. He waited at the top for Mudkip, who hauled herself over. They set off down the steps, but as they approached the intersection, voices drifted to them. They weren't any they recognized from the Guild, or town. Maybe bandits? Treecko got excited at this thought, and put a finger to his lips, motioning for Mudkip to join him behind the well.

Peering out from behind it, the duo could spot three shapes. One was much larger than the other two, defying the smaller shapes. Treecko recognized this as Alakazam from the Outlaw Notice Board. He had a large bounty on his head for stealing and threatening many Pokémon. So far, no one had been able to locate him. Mudkip made to open her mouth, but Treecko shushed her.

"Now, where have you hidden the stuff you've stolen?" a male voice asked carefully.

Alakazam sneered. "As if. You two are just a bunch of wimps. You could never take on me." He raised his spoons, intending to strike.

Mudkip turned to Treecko urgently with wide eyes. "They're gonna get hurt!" she whispered fervently. "We hafta do something!"

Treecko agreed with this, and was just about to leap out when the second shape, the one who had spoken, leaped up quicker than he could see and slammed down upon Alakazam's head. The bandit went down, and he leaped neatly away, standing beside his partner.

"Like we said," he repeated slowly, "where have you hidden all the things you stole?"

Alakazam groaned and lifted his head. "I swear, it's atop Mt. Bristle."

"Good," said the other. This time it was the shape who had remained silent the entire time. The voice was female, and it had the tone of someone who didn't talk much, but should be listened to when she chose to. Undoubtedly, she was the leader of the two. "Now you will kindly come with us to Officer Magnazone."

They had nothing to tie the thief up with, but Treecko thought that just the force of that girl's gaze would keep Alakazam from running. Her teammate went around and led the way, while the girl followed behind Alakazam, who was in the middle.

Treecko had no idea who these two were, but he had the feeling that he should know them. As they started moving, the light fell upon them. In front, leading the way, was a Riolu with a determined look on his face. Then, at the back, was a Vulpix. Her brown eyes were calm and focused, but Treecko could later have sworn that she glanced right at them as she passed with the faintest of smiles.

Once they were gone, Treecko and Mudkip came out from their hiding place. He looked at his partner, but from the look on her face, she had no explanation either.

"Wow," he said softly. "Didn't Sunflora go after Alakazam once, and she got sent back."

Mudkip nodded slowly, but the light of adventure was already sparking in her eyes again.

"Come on!" she called over her shoulder, bouncing off towards Treasure Town. "We can still catch them!"

Treecko grinned. "Mudkip, you crazy fool," he said to himself, but set off after her anyway.

…

Magnazone was impressed by the capture of Alakazam. But now the criminal was safely behind bars where he could do no damage. He turned to the team who had helped him so much through the past years.

"ZZT. You have brought Alakazam in for arrest," he stated. "I thank you for your cooperation. ZZT!"

"It's not a problem," the Vulpix replied, smiling. "Have a great day, Officer Magnazone!" She waved her six tails in farewell as she bounded out the door.

"To you as well! ZZT!" he called.

…

Treecko and Mudkip arrived in town, but the mysterious Pokémon were nowhere to be found.

"Aww," Mudkip whined. "This stinks."

Treecko nodded in agreement. Where could they have gone so quickly? He dropped it from his mind. If they kept thinking about that, they would never get their work done.

"Come on, Mudkip," he said, heading towards the bridge that led to the other part of town, "we have a job to do."

…

The Keckleon brothers were happy to oblige. They delivered the news that five Perfect Apples were in stock and bid the team a fair day. As they were turning to leave, a flash of movement caught Treecko's eye. He turned around and there they were.

They both nodded to Treecko and Mudkip and approached the Keckleon brothers. The brothers beamed.

"Ah, Solay, Shadow!" the younger said warmly. "Welcome back! How was your trip?"

"Exhausting," the Riolu replied. Treecko and Mudkip assumed this was Shadow. "How have things been here?"

"Rather slow and normal," the elder brother replied with a little sigh. Then he caught himself and grinned. "So how can we help you today?"

"We're just stopping by to say hello," Solay replied.

_Gosh, she's pretty,_ Treecko couldn't help thinking. Then he blushed and focused on something other than the Vulpix in front of him. He met Shadow's eyes. There was no hostility in them, just polite curiosity. After a moment, Treecko looked away.

Solay had apparently wrapped up her discussion, and they both turned to leave. Before they had gotten more than three steps away, Mudkip shouted, "Wait!"

They both stopped and turned, watching her.

Mudkip turned slightly pink, and seemed at loss for words. "Who are you?" she finally blurted.

"Oh, my apologies," Solay said softly, turning fully to face them and coming back a step and a half. "My name is Solay. This is my partner, Shadow." He waved good-naturedly. "We're Team Sky."

It took Treecko a minute to process this information. When it clicked, astonishment swept through him. Here was the Team who waved the world not once, but twice, who'd lived mostly in darkness and myth for the past three and a half years, standing before him. Treecko wasn't sure if he should bow or faint.

"Wait a sec," he said slowly, struggling to grasp the concept. He was talking to a _legend_! Not to mention a pretty one… _Gah! Bad Treecko! Bad!_ "You mean…_the_ Team Sky?"

Shadow nodded. "Yep. The one and only."

Mudkip showed no signs of fear after this. "Cool!" she exclaimed. "You guys are all powerful and famous and stuff! And you graduated from Wigglytuff's Guild, right?" The question was answered with a nod from Shadow. "Double cool!" she squeaked. "You should come and visit soon! Seriously! You should!" Her eyes were round and sincere. Treecko doubted Mudkip had ever told a lie in her life.

Solay and Shadow cast amused half-glances at each other. "All right," Solay said. "We'll tag along now if you'd like. We have time for a while."

"Triple ultra mega cool!" Mudkip exclaimed, jumping up and down with anticipation. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" She turned and promptly raced off, pausing ever ten feet or so, jumping, and waiting for the others to catch up.

Solay made a strange noise, like laughing through her nose, and trotted after the energetic water-type. Shadow waved the Keckleon brothers, who called "Come back soon!" after them, and headed off just behind Treecko.

"Your friend is very energetic," the Riolu pointed out.

Treecko gave a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, but that gets her into trouble sometimes. And it gets annoying once in a while, but she's cool to be around."

"I imagine," Shadow mused.

Treecko glanced curiously up at the other boy. They weren't scary, they were really nice. He felt himself getting more and more comfortable around these two, and soon they were laughing and joking around like old buddies. But all too soon, the Guild's steps came into view.

"Hey hey hey," Mudkip said quickly, bouncing over. "I have an idea! We'll go in and say we brought guests and then you guys make a surprise entrance!"

Solay nodded. "Sounds good," she said brightly. "We'll wait until you say 'But we did bring a priceless treasure back!' Okay?"

Team Treekip nodded, and said, "Right!" They scurried up the top and down the ladders. Most of the Guild was back and conversing among themselves. Treecko hadn't noticed it had been getting dark. Chatot hurried up to them, squawking in anger.

"Where have you been?" he raged. "The others were back hours ago!"

"Sorry," Treecko muttered. "We were held up."

And now Mudkip added loudly, "But we did bring a priceless treasure back!"

This caught Chatot's attention. "A what? A treasure? Where on Earth did you go?"

Treecko opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Shadow slipping on one of the ladder rungs and plummeting face first into the ground. Everyone stopped and stared, and Solay's laughter drifted down from above.

"Owww," he groaned, standing and glaring up. "Not funny, Solay!"

She hopped down into view, still giggling. "Why, Shadow, I didn't know you could do such a perfect belly flop."

Everything was silent now. Bidoof was the first to speak, his voice hesitant.

"Solay? Shadow? Is that really you?" he asked timidly.

"Bidoof!" Solay said warmly, rushing up and hugging him. Now there was an uproar of noise as everyone was cheering and celebrating their friends' return.

Chatot turned to Treecko, half annoyed, but half rejoicing. He tried to be cross, but was failing miserably.

"What was that you two said about a priceless treasure?" he asked.

Wigglytuff came up behind them, grinning from pink ear to pink ear. "Chatot!" he exclaimed. "What better treasure is there than friends?"

…~-

I rather like Wigglytuff's words at the end here. :'3 I figured if he was gonna show up, he was gonna say something important. I'll work on chapter two soon, I promise!


	2. Mt Bristle's Secret

As promised, chapter two! :3 If there's _anything_ I can do to improve, please tell me!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and my team/characters/dungeons/places I made up. :3

…~-CHAPTER TWO: Mt. Bristle's Secret

There was obvious joy throughout the evening. The reason? Team Sky had agreed to come back for a visit. They joined the Guild for dinner, afterwards agreeing to answer any questions tossed their way. Idle chatter filled the room, along with obvious munching and crunching. Team Treekip had the old spots Solay and Shadow had, and they were across from Team Sky. Soon, the plates were clean, and everyone moved into the main lower level of the Guild. They made themselves comfortable, in a half circle around Team Sky.

Bidoof had the first question. "Why haven't you come to visit more often?" he asked.

"We really meant to," Shadow replied, looking sad, "but every time we tried something came up. We're really sorry."

"Oh, no, it's all right!" Chimeco assured them. "We understand."

There was a collection of "Yeahs" and "Of course!". Shadow gave a small nod and smiled.

"How many bandits have you taken down?" Mudkip questioned curiously.

Solay had to think for a moment, then shrugged. "I have no idea. I lost count around forty-three, I think. And that was two years ago."

"Cool," she breathed.

"_I_ have a question!" Loudred interrupted. "What have you been _DOING_ all this time?"

"See for yourself," Solay said. She reached over and pulled the Wonder Map out of the Treasure Bag Shadow was carrying. She spread it out smoothly for all to see.

They all crowded around and gasped. All of the clouds covering areas they hadn't explored yet were gone. There wasn't a scrap of cloud anywhere on the map.

Chatot squawked in alarm. "Y-you've explored the whole world?"

Solay grinned. "Exactly. There's no place too tough for us."

There was a stunned silence, and something that sounded awfully like snoring coming from Wigglytuff's corner. Solay bit back her laughter. "Perhaps that's the signal for bed," she advised. "We can come back tomorrow. We need a break from traveling anyway."

"If it's not too much trouble!" Suflora said automatically. "I mean, you need your rest, don't you?"

"We'll be fine," Shadow assured her, even though he was using the sheer force of his will to bite back an enormous yawn. They bade goodnight and climbed back up the ladder and out of sight.

The Guildmembers dispersed to their rooms, muttering a "Good night" or "See you in the morning" to one another. Sunflora and Chimeco vanished into the top room, and Crogunk, Loudred, and Bidoof to the bottom one. Treecko and Mudkip continued along the hall to the last room. The window on the left wall showed a mild night with just a hint of storm tomorrow evening. Treecko gazed out the window for a moment, reflecting.

Shadow, the emanation Pokémon. At just over two feet, the Riolu didn't look all that extraordinary. He was human-like in appearance, having two arms and legs. There was a small, silvery-gray oval on top of both his hands. Riolu had a tail that came up near the end, and was wider than his legs in the middle, jut before it forked upwards. His body was mostly a light blue. Not sky blue, but not indigo. Something in between. He had a small yellow band around his neck, and below that, just before his waist, Shadow's fur was black. His head was bigger than his body, and he had a black mask-type marking over the top of his muzzle and eyes. Two raindrop-shaped - Treecko didn't know what they were for or what they were – "things" came out of the side of his head, just a few inches behind his red eyes.

Solay, the fox Pokémon. She was a few inches shorter than her partner, and also didn't look very tough at first glance. She stood on four legs and had six dayglow-orange tails. She herself was a lighter brown-orange, and her paws were darker, as if stained with mud. On top of her head were three little curls, like her tails, and a tuft of fur hanging down on her forehead. Those were orange too. Her eyes were a lovely honey-brown when the light hit them, but otherwise very dark, nearly black in some places, and mysterious.

Then Treecko turned his attention to his own team. Mudkip wasn't even a foot and a half. Standing at one foot four inches, including her fin, she was a small package. She always joked around saying she's "Fun-sized, not short" but isn't very "fun" when battling. Being the mud fish Pokémon, she was the same basic color as a Riolu, except maybe a little bit lighter. She walked on four stubby feet, and had a large fin-like tail at her rear. It was a very light blue, possibly gray, depending on how you looked at it. Her underside was the same pale color. A fin on top of her head made up perhaps five inches of her total height, and two bright orange appendages came out from her cheeks. Mudkip said it was to make her look more threatening, and then she proceeded to dance around spouting nonsense, which only left Treecko laughing.

He himself was a wood gecko Pokémon. Discovering one ay that he was only four inches taller than Mudkip, he too called himself "fun-sized" once, but it wasn't well remembered. His skin was a leaf-green shade. He had two arms with three fingers on each. The same went for his feet. His tail seemed to be two thick, dark green leaves, which he could blend in with trees if he needed to hide. The underside of his chin and belly were red, however, and he had to hide himself just right to keep enemies from spotting him. He had two yellow eyes set high on his head, which the ridges both poked up above his actual head.

Discovering that now the sky was getting quite dark, he pulled himself away from the window and curled up, intending to get some sleep.

Mudkip, however, wasn't sleepy, it seemed. "Hey, Treecko," she said softly. "Wasn't today hectic?"

"Mmm, yep," he replied.

"Wasn't meeting Team Sky super ultra mega cool?"

He laughed a little. "Yeah, it sure was. Wonder where they went, anyway?"

"I think Sunflora told me that they live at Sharpedo Bluff," Mudkip replied. "But it was a while ago, and I'm not quite sure." A ferocious yawn came from her corner. "Well, we'd better get to bed before the sun comes up so we can talk to Solay and Shadow in the morning. Night, Treecko."

"Goodnight, Mudkip," he replied, but she was already fast asleep.

…_**T**__he __**N**__ext __**M**__orning_…

"UP AND AT 'EM! IT'S MORNING!" Loudred shouted, before turning and waddling down the hall.

"Ugh, morning Treecko," Mudkip mumbled, yawning and shaking herself awake.

Treecko shook his head and trotted down the hallway to the main part of the second underground floor. The rest of the apprentices and Chatot were assembled there already. Team Sky were standing to the far side, waiting, looking better than they did yesterday. The briefing commenced, and then it was over. No one went anywhere; they just gathered in another semi-circle, like last night.

"Hey hey hey, I have a question now!" Chorpish stated. "Where did you guys go on your most recent trip?"

"We just got back from Amber Cove," Solay replied. "It was filled with powerful water- and flying-type opponents, so it was a definite challenge. But, the rewards were great, and we helped a lot of people along the way," she added, giving a brief nod of satisfaction.

"What place would you recommend for us?" Wigglytuff asked slowly, thoughtfully.

"Hmm…that's a tough one." Shadow gazed around at all the faces, and said slowly, "I think Hollow Forest would be a good choice for the lot of you. It's quiet, the Pokémon aren't ridiculously tough, and it's a great trip to take. We've only been there two or three times, but it's a great place to get away if you just want a little challenge."

"I agree with that," Solay said. She cast a mischievous glance at Wigglytuff. "If you were thinking of going, say no more. If you'll have us along as well."

"Of course we'll have you!" he exclaimed. "Friendly friends! You're always welcome!"

Chatot caught on to the discussion, and flapped his wings quickly for attention. "Well, you heard the Guildmaster! We're setting out for Hollow Forest in three days time. In the meantime, continue doing splendid jobs!"

There was a deafening, "HOORAY!" from everyone. Solay laughed and bid farewell, saying, "We also have to get ready. I have a feeling Treasure Town is going to be mobbed pretty soon."

"Wow, a real expedition!" Mudkip exclaimed. "There hasn't been once since Team Sky were apprentices here! We're so lucky!"

Treecko nodded, but had a feeling it was something other than luck that brought this upon them. "Well, come on. We still have three days. Let's go find a job or two to do today, and the same tomorrow. Then we'll do a smaller mission, and prepare on the third day, so we're all set."

"Sounds good. Let's go!" She darted up to the first floor, taking the ladder rungs three at a time. He chuckled and followed.

…

The Job Notice Board and Outlaw Notice Board were being swarmed by the Guild's crew. Treecko devised a plan: He would sneak up through the crowds of Pokémon, grab a Job, and they would read it outside, away from all the noise. It worked fine, and soon, they were outside, standing off to the side in case of a stampede. Mudkip read the letter out loud.

"'Hey, there, friendly readers,'" she read. "'I was wonderin' if you would be so kind as to help me out. Ya see, just a short time ago I was climbin' Mt. Bristle, and I was nearin' the top when I was defeated! I lost my precious Yellow Band there. Could ya brave readers get it back for me?'" She looked up. "Hey, that's not too hard. Let's head out."

Treecko nodded. "Sounds good. Let's go!"

…_**L**__ater __**T**__hat __**S**__ame __**D**__ay, __**H**__igh in __**M**__t. __**B**__ristle_…

"How far does this thing go?" Mudkip asked, slightly breathless. "Feels like we've been climbing for hours!"

Treecko didn't reply off the bat. He thought there was something different about the wall up ahead. Was it…lighter? Yes, it defiantly was. It was getting brighter the closer they got to it.

"Mudkip, look! There's the exit! We've made it to the top!"

They were both blinded for a moment, then their eyes adjusted. But…it was all rock. There wasn't a scrap of Yellow Band in sight.

"Hey, that's weird…" Mudkip looked around, puzzled. "The letter said it was here, didn't it?"

"Yeah…" Treecko took a couple of steps forward, looking around too. "But there's nothing here." Something caught his eye. It was a very tiny movement in the shadows, but as soon as he looked, it was gone. Heart pounding, Treecko didn't look away from that spot.

"Something wrong?" Mudkip asked, peering over his shoulder.

Treecko forced himself to calm down, and turn around. "Nope. Just imagined it." But he still couldn't shake the awful feeling of having a thousand eyes on the back of his head.

"There's…something wrong about this place…" Mudkip said quietly.

"Yeah," Treecko replied nervously. "Come on, let's get out of here. I've got a really bad feeing that something bad's gonna happen if we stay…"

They turned to leave. Another flash of movement caught Treecko's eye before he was thrown back a good three feet. Before he or Mudkip knew what was happening, they were surrounded.

"AMBUSH!" Mudkip screamed.

…~-

Meh-heh-heh! :3 I've still got it.


	3. Hidden Treasures, Lost and Found!

I don't think any real introduction is needed right now.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and my team/characters/dungeons/places I made up. :3

…~-CHAPTER THREE: Hidden Treasures, Lost and Found!

"AMBUSH!" Mudkip screamed. They were both swarmed with green bodies, and neither of them could discern who was attacking. There were large, sharp claws slashing at every bit of the two young explorers they could get at. Treecko didn't know what to do.

_If this keeps up, we'll be finished! _he thought, trying to dodge at least one of the claws_. I guess we don't have a choice. We'll have to fight them!_

Gathering himself, Treecko shouted "Razor Leaf!" and chucked fast-moving sharp-edged leaves at his foes. They leaped back, giving him room to move and look around. Mudkip had likewise gotten rid of her assaulters, and was slowly backing up to meet him.

Now that they could see their opponents, Treecko's confidence took a nose-dive. He thought that maybe they wouldn't be so tough once they were out of range to use their claws, but now he saw that they were dealing with seven angry-looking Scyther.

Scyther were in the bug-type group, but hard to keep track of. They hopped around quickly, so their green bodies melded together in one incomprehensible mass. He could hear the fast, annoying fluttering of the four wings on their backs, and could see the flash of their claws. Instead of hands, from the elbow down, Scyther had large razor blades for arms.

Treecko gritted his teeth. _Great. How did this even happen?_

His thoughts were interrupted by Mudkip. "Treecko. Treecko, how do we get out of this?" she was whispering fearfully.

"We fight, of course," he growled back.

"Against all of them?" Mudkip's voice was soft, but high. She was afraid.

"We don't have much of a choice. Get ready. We'll both attack at once."

He heard her swallow, but nod determinedly. He waited a few moments, then yelled "NOW!" and let another blast of leaves towards the rotating green dome of Scyther. Behind him, Mudkip was blowing out a Water Gun. Treecko didn't know if the attacks hit, but then something bizarre happened. Both the Water Gun and Razor Leaf were caught up in the rotating winds and flung back at the opposite user. The water Gun hit Treecko straight in the face, and the leaves slammed into Mudkip's side. They were both thrown back, and slammed into each other.

"Ugh…" Treecko got unsteadily to his knees "Mudkip, are you okay?"

"F-f-fine…"

The Scyther had moved their circling to accommodate the team's new position. Treecko couldn't see a way out of this, and despair was becoming and old friend. "Mudkip…we can't win."

"We can!" she insisted. That was a trait Mudkip had. She would be hesitant at first, but once the plan began, she would see it through to the end no matter the outcome. "We can win this!"

"That's the spirit."

They both looked up. A dark shape was flying over the Scyther and right into the middle of the circle, where they were. It blocked out the sun for a minute, and it landed neatly on all four paws. Solay smiled at them. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Oh, you have no idea how glad we are to see you!" Mudkip cried, and then promptly got hit on the back of the head with a passing Scyther claw. It grinned as it passed, and then blended back in with its fellows.

"H-how did you get here?" Treecko gasped.

"I jumped," she said simply. Her light tone wasn't matched by her eyes. They were calculating and narrowed, watching the precise movements of her enemies. "Okay. I need you two to stay close to me. Whatever happens, don't move."

"Uh…all right." Mudkip moved closer, as if she wanted to hide in her rescuer's tails. Treecko hobbled over too, sticking close because she was one with fire, and he was one with grass. Fire ate grass.

"Fire Spin!" Solay sucked in her breath and shot out a rotating torrent of flame. However, unlike his and Mudkip's attacks, the Fire Spin stayed in the rotation, and the Scyther broke ranks, shouting to each other that they were on fire. Treecko wasn't sure weather to laugh or yell at them for being so useless now.

Solay took a half step forward. "Enough of that!" she called. "Show me your leader."

There was silence for a moment, then a smooth, calm male voice replied, "Very well. You are a sharp one, dear."

A Pokémon larger than the Scyther came forward slowly. It was red, but had the same basic body structure of its green companions. However, this one seemed more streamlined somehow, and had pincers instead of claws.

"My name is Siczor," he said with a grin and a mock bow. "Glad to meet your acquaintance, Solay."

"How do you know my name?" she responded sharply.

"Why wouldn't I?" Siczor returned, giving her an incredulous look. "Everyone knows Team Sky, the band of Shadow and Solay." He looked around, making the gesture overly dramatic. "Speaking of him, where is Shadow? I was hoping to take you both down at once. Not just you and two little wimps." He made a disappointed face, and glared at Treecko and Mudkip.

"H-hey!" Mudkip shot back "We're not wimps!"

"Yeah!" Treecko added. "We could take you blindfolded!"

Solay gave them both a warning glance, but it was too late. Siczor and his cronies were fired up already.

"Oh, so the little kiddies think that by hanging out with a legend makes them legends too?" he sneered. "Scyther! Let's bring them all down to size!"

There was a round-about cheer from them, and they raised their arms, clashing against each other.

Solay let out a growl. "Get ready. Here they come!"

…:: BOSS BATTLE: Siczor! ::…

They all rushed in at once, but Treecko wasn't afraid anymore. He was pumped. He fired Razor Leaves left and right, also hitting them with Pound if necessary. Behind him, Mudkip was dealing with her opponents with Water Gun and Bubble. He couldn't see what Solay was doing, but he did catch a glimpse of Siczor trying to shoot her with Hyper Beam. He paid it no heed; she could watch her own back at the moment.

The battle dragged on for what seemed like forever, but finally, the last Scyther was down. The two were breathing hard, but grinning.

"We did it, Treecko!" Mudkip said excitedly. "We beat 'em all!"

He nodded, too breathless to speak. "Yeah." But…something was missing from the picture. _Oh, Siczor!_ He looked frantically around, and then caught sight of his limp body being dragged back by Solay.

"No need to worry, I had that in the bag," she said, putting him down. She looked around at the Scyther groaning on the ground, and nodded in approval. "Looks like you two did okay by yourselves too. I was afraid you wouldn't manage."

Mudkip let out a "Pfft" of exasperation. "We had that in the _bag_," she said, grinning.

"So you did," the Vulpix replied with a little laugh.

Siczor got to his feet beside her. Treecko and Mudkip started, and got ready for a fight, but he held up his pincers in defeat. "You win. We'll leave. But we will have a rematch someday." His eyes glinted, but another second, and all of the Scyther and Siczor were gone.

"And there you have it," she said simply.

Treecko let out his breath and sat down, exhausted. "Whew, I'd say that was a fight worth remembering, if nothing else."

"Mm," Mudkip replied, sitting too.

Solay took in the situation quickly. "I think it's time for a break," she decided. "Lucky I packed extra." She set the Treasure Bag down and flipped it open. She stuck her paw in, and rummaged around for a minute, then pulled out an apple. "Here you go, Treecko," she said, and passed it to him. She stuck her paw back in and brought out another, handing it to Mudkip. Then she reached in one more and brought a third out, snapping the bag shut.

"Wow, how much stuff can you fit in there?" Mudkip mumbled through her apple.

"I've lost count," Solay said with a hopeless tone, but then she grinned. "It's a lot of stuff, that's for sure."

"Can I see?" Mudkip asked after swallowing her bite.

"Sure." Solay set her bitten apple down and opened the Treasure Bag again. Mudkip leaned over and promptly stuck her head inside. Her voice echoed up oddly, as if…

"It's bigger on the inside!" she cried.

Solay burst out laughing as Treecko also hurried over, nearly chocking on his apple. "It is? Lemme see, Mudkip!"

She withdrew her head to let Treecko bend over it. "Wow, you're right!" he said, excited. "I can't see the bottom!"

Solay had nearly recovered now, and nodded. "Right. It's because of all the missions we've done. Keep it up, and yours could become bigger than ours someday."

"Triple ultra mega cool!" Mudkip exclaimed. She went back to gnawing on her apple, apparently imagining doing as many missions as Solay. Within no time, the apples were gone. Treecko and Mudkip shared and Oran Berry, and then turned their attention to Solay, who was washing her face with her paws.

"So, why did you come up here anyway?" Treecko questioned.

She stopped mid-lick and set her paw down. "Don't you remember what Alakazam said?"

…

_Peering out from behind it, the duo could spot three shapes. One was much larger than the other two, defying the smaller shapes. Treecko recognized this as Alakazam from the Outlaw Notice Board. He had a large bounty on his head for stealing and threatening many Pokémon. So far, no one had been able to locate him. Mudkip made to open her mouth, but Treecko shushed her. _

"_Now, where have you hidden the stuff you've stolen?" a male voice asked carefully. _

_Alakazam sneered. "As if. You two are just a bunch of wimps. You could never take on me." He raised his spoons, intending to strike._

_Mudkip turned to Treecko urgently with wide eyes. "They're gonna get hurt!" she whispered fervently. "We hafta do something!"_

_Treecko agreed with this, and was just about to leap out when the second shape, the one who had spoken, leaped up quicker than he could see and slammed down upon Alakazam's head. The bandit went down, and he leaped neatly away, standing beside his partner._

"_Like we said," he repeated slowly, "where have you hidden all the things you stole?"_

_Alakazam groaned and lifted his head. "I swear, it's atop Mt. Bristle."_

…

Mudkip turned to him. "Hey, that's right. Alakazam said it was here, didn't he?"

Solay nodded. "And I came to get it back. Although, I suspected a trap all along, which is why Shadow isn't here. I told him I could handle this by myself."

"Wow, you're five steps ahead of everybody," Mudkip whistled.

"Exactly." Solay got to her paws and started padding around the mountain top. "And if I'm right, Alakazam should have hidden his treasure riiiightttt baaaacckkkk…here."

They came to her side. In the far back of the mountain was a hole in the wall. It was too big for, say, Loudred, but Treecko was fairly sure he or Mudkip could squeeze through.

"Here, you two, you go in first, will you?" Solay glanced at them both. "I'm not sure I'll fit." She gave a wry grin, amused.

"Okay!" Mudkip said brightly. She headed for the hole and pushed her way in easily. Treecko had a little more trouble, but he made it. Solay's voice echoed from outside.

"Can you see anything?"

"No," Treecko replied. It was too dark inside to see much of anything. "It's too gloomy in here."

"Ah. Well, just a sec." There was a pause, and Solay spat a purpleish-blueish flame into the cave. It floated about three feet off the ground, and over their heads.

"How's my Will-O-Wisp working?" Solay called.

"If you can make it a little brighter, that'd be great," Mudkip replied.

"'Kay, just a moment." The current flame went out, and a moment later, a bigger, brighter one sparked into existence. This was a little more green than blue. "How's that?"

"Perfect!" Treecko replied, gazing around. There were all sorts of things in the cave, from bands to berries to Poké.

"Treecko, here's the Yellow Band!" Mudkip said, picking it up.

"Did you find it?" Solay put her eyes to the opening, gazing around. "Heh. You found a lot of things. Well, come on out. I'll get this stuff later. You two should get back to the Guild." Her brown eyes vanished, and she said quietly, "It's going to rain soon."

Treecko slipped back out through the hole, and once his partner was out, the ghoulish green-purple-blue light vanished.

But Solay was right. There was a large gray cloud on the horizon, the edges dyed orange by the sinking sun.

"Here, I'll walk you back. Just in case," she added quickly.

Mudkip nodded sleepily. "Mm, kay…"

About halfway through the mountain, Treecko was starting to get tired too. The sun must have set by now. Solay showed no signs of tiredness, and Mudkip was acting more like a zombie than anything. Treecko didn't remember how, but the next thing he knew was darkness.

…

Solay could only watch in amusement as Team Treekip nodded off on their feet. She gave a small smile. "I remember when I was as young as they are…" She padded over to them and lifted Treecko onto her back. Then, taking Mudkip by the scruff, she kept walking. _I'll let them sleep. They deserve it._

…~-

Oh, about the Treasure Bag… I had to come up with some explanation on how they do that in the games, and thought it illogical that the actual bag was made larger, so I came up with the only other possible solution…

IT'S A TARDIS MUAWAHAHAHAHA! :3

But seriously. How _do_ they do it? O.o Your guess is as good as mine.


	4. Shadow Lends a Hand

Welcome to chapter four, everyone! I'd just like to give a quick shout-out to my jerk of a sister who keeps whining about how much time I spend doing this crap and that I'll never be able to do anything good for keeping me inspired to prove her little ass wrong. Yep. Thanks a lot, sis.

…Didja catch the sarcasm there?

Oh, yes, and to my readers…WHOOO NICE I HAVE REVIEWS NOW! X3

Team Dasher- They may in conflict with the plot I have in mind. Perhaps you could write your own story about them. I'll read it if you like. ;D Always looking for ways to help others.

…~-CHAPTER FOUR: Shadow Lends a Hand

Treecko woke up the next morning to Loudred's insistent bellow, just like every other day. Mudkip stumbled behind him, yawning loudly and muttering about something or other. The morning briefings were over in a flash, and they climbed up the ladder to the first underground floor. The board wasn't as swarmed as before, but Mudkip had a better idea, and hauled Treecko outside without a chance to protest.

"Hey, what was that for?" he complained as she let go of his bandana.

Mudkip had that look in her eyes. Treecko knew what was coming, and he groaned. A part of him died inside.

"Shopping time!" Mudkip exclaimed, grabbing him again and racing off for the market, Treecko bobbing behind her.

"Mudkip, do we have to?" he asked quietly.

It was like she was fifteen times bigger than him with demonic red eyes and Sharpedo teeth. "Yes, Treecko," she said in a slightly twisted, demonic voice. "We are going shopping now."

"Yes…yes we are," he said, trembling under the force of her rage.

"Good boy!" she replied brightly, skipping off, humming.

Treecko muttered "Girls…" under his breath and followed.

They didn't get far when they ran into Solay, dragging Shadow around not unlike Mudkip was dragging him. Shadow, apparently finally having found a reason to get away from her, came jogging over, waving. Solay spotted them too, and followed, smiling.

"Hey Mudkip, Treecko," Shadow said, nodding to them both. "How've ya been?"

"Good, thanks," Mudkip replied, nodding back. "We're out shopping. Are you?"

"Just looking around," Solay replied. Before long, Mudkip and Solay were chatting about "girl things" as Treecko put it. They walked off, comparing things at random, while leaving their male partners alone.

There was silence for a moment, then Shadow punched the air. "Yes, ditched 'em. Thank goodness you two came along, or Solay would have gone on for hours."

"I know the feeling," Treecko groaned. "Once they start talking, they don't stop."

"Exactly." Shadow looked around. "Well, now that we're alone, what should we do?"

"Uh…you're asking me…why?" Treecko gave the Riolu an incredulous look.

"Good point." Shadow tapped his foot on the ground for a few seconds, then got an idea. "How about we go to the Hot Spring?" he suggested. "Solay and I love that place, although it took me a few tries to get her in the water."

"Hey, Mudkip and I go there in our spare time too!" Treecko said. "Sure, let's go."

…_**A F**__ew __**M**__inutes __**L**__ater, at the __**H**__ot __**S**__pring_

"Here we are," Shadow said brightly. "The Hot Spring."

It was as warm and comfortable as Treecko remembered. The water washed away all of the anxiousness for the up-and-coming expedition, and soothed all his worries about the world. By Shadow's lax and comfortable face, Treecko could tell he wasn't the only one without a care in the world.

"Ahh, this feels great," the grass-type said.

"Mm, it does," Shadow replied without opening his eyes.

There was a lapse in conversation for a few minutes, then Treecko remembered something. "Oh, hey, I forgot to ask Solay, but perhaps you can tell me, Shadow."

"Mm?" They eyes were still closed.

Treecko tilted his head back and looked at the sky. "I was wondering…yesterday, on our way back from Mt. Bristle…how did we get to the guild? I don't remember walking back."

"Oh, yeah, Solay thought you'd ask that," Shadow replied. "About halfway down, she said you guys fell asleep. She doesn't blame you or anything. It was a nice fight you got yourselves out of. Anyway, she carried you back."

Treecko sat up quickly, looking at him. "Carried us both? All the way back?"

Shadow nodded. "Mmhmm. She explained it to the Guild's crew too, then to me, then overslept and insisted we go to Treasure Town. I asked her why, since while she went to rescue you, I had already stocked up. She just told me she 'had a feeling'." He smiled. "I think she planed this whole thing."

Treecko whistled. "Mudkip's right. She is five steps ahead."

"That's the Solay I know."

"Why, what have we here?"

They both craned their necks backwards. A turtle-like Pokémon stood behind them, looking down with his kind old face. His skin was an orange-red, and his black shell had a few holes in the top where a little bit of white smoke was coming out.

"Ah, Elder Torkoal," Shadow said. "Nice to see you today."

"Ah, young Shadow, is it? I thought I'd find you here."

"You did, did you?" Shadow asked, mildly amused.

Torkoal nodded. "Mm, indeed. But who is this with you?"

"Oh, this is Treecko. He's an apprentice at the Guild," Shadow explained.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Treecko said.

"Good to meet you too, young'un. I remember when Shadow here was in your position."

Shadow blinked twice, and then nodded. "That's right. Wasn't the first time we met when we dropped in?"

"Dropped in?" Treecko questioned, confused.

"Aye," Torkoal said, making his was around the rocks to the other side of the Hot Spring where the warmest rock was. "Those two dropped right down from the sky, they did."

"How'd you manage that?" Treecko was doubtful this story was true. Since when did Riolu and Vulpix fly? _Torkoal may not be the only elder around here._

"We triggered a trap in Waterfall Cave that sent a huge wave of water at us, which shot us out the top of the cave and straight here." Shadow grinned sheepishly. "Well, I triggered the trap. I think it's still there, in fact."

"Seems a little far-fetched to me," Treecko said, still not quite believing it. "But, okay, if you say so."

"Where is young Solay now?" Torkoal asked.

"In town, chatting away with Mudkip." Shadow rolled his eyes. "Girl things."

Torkoal nodded in understanding, smiling despite himself.

Treecko remembered something else. "Oh, wait a sec. You said yesterday you were stocking up. But Solay had the Treasure Bag. How did you do that?"

"You misunderstood," Shadow replied. "I just went around and made a list of things we need. We'll pick them up in the morning."

"Oh, now I get it," he replied. They lapsed into silence once again. However, not a few minutes later came the pounding of feet, a shout of "CANNONBALL!" and a spray of water.

Mudkip had arrived.

"Found you two!" came another female voice. A brown paw dipped itself into the water, then Solay made her way in slowly. She did have a relative fear of water, as all fire-types did, but she could swim and didn't mind it if it was still and smooth and warm. "Wassup?"

"Oh, h-hi," Treecko said shyly.

"Morning, Treecko," she replied. "Ready for the explanation? Oh, sorry, I mean expedition." She shook her head furiously, then dunked it under the water. "Whew! Needed that. I've been a little frazzled lately. No idea why."

"Stress?" Shadow offered. He tossed her a berry, and she caught it in her mouth and swallowed it whole.

"Mm." She swiped her tongue around her muzzle and cast them both a glance. "Should you two be getting out soon?" she asked, giving them an incredulous look.

Shadow nodded, snickering. "Yeah, I'm getting out. We should get going, anyway."

They both stepped out. Solay shook herself dry and they started on their way. Treecko scrambled out and ran in front of Solay, shouting, "Wait!"

She stopped, blinking. "Yes? What do you need?"

Treecko got nervous again. "Um, well, I just wanted to say thanks for yesterday," he mumbled. "And…you know…you're my hero."

Solay was staring at him with almost a horrified expression. Her eyes were slightly wider than normal, and the light had died in them. Shadow's face fell as he'd heard Treecko's words. Solay recovered, and tilted her head down so her face was hidden in shadow. She started walking again, going around him until they were side by side.

"You know, Treecko," she said quietly, "I'm not a hero. I…can never be a hero. Look up to Shadow, not me. He's the hero." And she walked away. Treecko didn't turn around until she was too far away to make a difference.

"But…" His shoulders sagged. "What…was that?" He turned to Shadow. "Shadow…?"

The Riolu shook his head. "Lately, Solay's been feeling down. She doesn't have any confidence in herself anymore. She feels she's not good enough, and every mistake she makes brings her down. She reminds me…of me, before I met her."

Treecko looked up into his face, but Shadow went on. "But it's all right. She bounces back quickly. I'll go talk to her, and she'll be fine tomorrow."

Treecko was still worried, but he had faith in Shadow, and he nodded. As he started leaving, Treecko remembered his final question. "Shadow, wait!" he called. Shadow turned around. "I just remembered…why are you called 'Shadow'?"

He smiled. "Oh, that's because the first thing Solay saw when she woke up was my shadow. It stuck, and now I'm Shadow. It's fine, though, I really like it now." He waved and started trotting. Soon, he was out of earshot, and then was gone.

…~-

Next chapter is the expedition! I hope you're looking forward to it!


	5. Legend of the Weeping Elder Birch

Just so everyone knows, I won't be putting in characters of your own creation at this point. Later on into the story I _might_ consider it. If you'd like to discuss this matter with me, by all means, send me a message! We'll work something out, all right? I'm not a mean person, and open to suggestion. If you think my story could be better in any way, tell me! I write this for you, ya know. ;D

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon/Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, but I do own the made-up charries such as Treecko, Mudkip, Solay, and Shadow, and I also own Hollow Forest and this plot. :3 I'm rather proud of this plot.~

…~-CHAPTER FIVE: Legend of the Weeping Elder Birch

"Wake UP! It's MORNING!" Loudred bellowed. "Team Sky are ALREADY HERE!" He trekked out, leaving Treecko and Mudkip to stagger to their senses and stumble into the main assembly on the lower floor. Mudkip was yawning and rubbing her eyes, but Treecko could hardly stay still. Solay and Shadow stood off to the side, observing only. Chatot explained the mission and pointed out where Hollow Forest was on their maps. When they were all ready, they were to meet back here, and the Guild would leave. There was a roundabout cheer, and everyone dispersed.

Treecko and Mudkip were behind Sunflora, and in front of Corphish and Team Sky. They climbed the ladder and headed for Treasure Town. However, unlike he expected, Solay and Shadow didn't head for Keckleon Market. First, they stopped at Duskull's bank, and dropped something off. Then they headed for Kangaskan Storage. Shadow reached into the Treasure Bag and brought out a piece of paper. He handed it to Kangaskan, and she disappeared into the back for a moment. She returned with the items Treecko assumed were written on the paper, and put them in the bag. Shadow took two scarves and tied one around his own neck, and the other around Solay's. They were the same: black scarves with a green flame crossed with a red one. In the middle was a large golden 'S' that wound between the two flames. Treecko recognized this. High-rank exploration teams were given special scarves with the team's symbol on them. The cool part was they could be anything. They could be a Defense Scarf, or a Power Band, or maybe nothing at all. It was up to the team to decide. Treecko was impressed. He'd never actually seen one before.

Mudkip nudged him. "Treecko!" she said sharply. "What do we need?"

He started and looked around. "Oh, that's right. He looked into the Treasure bag. "Hmm…we may need another Oran Berry or two, and a few apples. We don't want to get lost with nothing to eat."

"Good point," Mudkip sighed. "Okay, I'll see what the Keckleon brothers have…if they're not all sold out yet." She rolled her eyes and stalked off.

Treecko watched her go, then switched his gaze to Solay. The two were coming this way. Shadow had just apparently said something funny, because her face cracked into a grin and she started laughing. He smiled. It looked like she was back to normal. He was still watching her when she caught sight of him staring and looked at him curiously, then waved her tails in hello. Caught off guard, Treecko quickly looked around for something else to watch. Feeling a flush in his face, he stared at the sky over the shops.

Solay giggled. He jumped as he realized she was right next to him. "No need to be shy," she teased. "We're all on the same team here. Going to the same place, you know."

"Eh heh…yeah…" Treecko rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."

Mudkip was back quicker than he'd expected. She had the things he'd suggested.

"The Keckleon brothers didn't have any apples left, but Bidoof and Sunflora both lent me one!" she explained brightly. Noticing the pink in his face and that he wasn't looking at Solay, she got suspicious. She sidled over to the Vulpix with half-lidded eyes and asked in a dangerous voice, "Have you been flirting with Treecko?"

Solay shook her head, making every moment the slightest bit overly dramatic. "No, I haven't done anything," she said with effort to make her voice sound overly honest.

Mudkip turned her gaze to Shadow. "Weeeellll? Has she?"

He raised his hands in front of his and moved them back and forth quickly. "Don't look at me! I'm an innocent bystander!"

"Innocent, my foot," Solay told him shortly. "You may be a bystander, but you aren't innocent."

They all erupted into laughter and headed back the way they came.

"To the Guild!" Mudkip proclaimed.

"To the Guild!" the others echoed, and they took off running and laughing.

…

Reaching the top of the steps, Treecko looked back. Mudkip bounded up next to him, and Solay appeared next. She drew up beside him, but accidently bumped Mudkip from behind.

"Whoops, sorry, Mudkip," she said. Solay opened her mouth to say something else, but cut herself off, swaying on her feet a little. She corrected her stance to compensate and shut her eyes tightly. From behind him, Treecko heard Shadow draw in his breath sharply. Treecko looked between the two, bamboozled.

"Wha—?" he asked, but Shadow slapped his paw over Treecko's mouth.

"Shh," he hissed in the grass-type's ear. "Don't speak. We can't disturb her right now."

Treecko didn't say a word in response, but Shadow still kept his paw over Treecko's mouth.

A few moments later, Solay opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, then caught sight of her friends. Shadow sidled over to her side and muttered in her ear. Whatever he said, she responded with, "We'll talk later."

"Are you okay?" Mudkip asked.

Solay nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry. It's just a dizzy spell. I get those sometimes."

Mudkip still seemed doubtful, but let the matter go. Treecko wasn't convinced, but Solay's reassuring smile washed away most of his doubt. They descended into the Guild's lower floor, and found they were the first ones back. It didn't take long before everyone else was assembled. Chatot explained what they were doing again, and they all made for the exit again.

Treecko was getting excited. _A real expedition! I can't wait!_ He checked his map again, just to make sure. It wasn't all that far. In fact, it was just past Apple Woods at the foot of the mountains. Treecko estimated it would take about a third of the day to make it there if they went carefully. The Guildmaster was speaking, but Treecko wasn't listening. All he could think about was getting there and exploring.

Mudkip heaved a sigh. "Treecko, you weren't listening, were you?"

He started. "Huh, what?"

She shook her head, exasperated. "Of course. But I can't really blame you, I guess. Wigglytuff said that once we got there, they'd be setting up a base. You could explore when you arrived if you wanted, but when night fell we'd all have to meet back there to sleep. Get it?"

"Got it," he replied, determined.

"Good." Shadow flicked him on the nose. "It doesn't do any good to not pay attention." He grinned. "Now, what do you say we race to the start of the forest? I'll bet you fifty Poké that we can get there first."

"Sorry, but we're too young to gamble," Mudkip said in a matter-of-fact voice. Shadow's face fell, and the little mud fish Pokémon grinned. "Kidding! You're on!" She and Treecko took off, laughing. Shadow blinked stupidly a few times, then shouted after them, "NO FAIR, HEAD START!" He and Solay took off running too, and the rest of the Guild got swept up in the run. Soon, everyone was racing and shouting gleefully towards Hollow Forest.

…

Everyone was exhausted as they reached the entrance to the forest. They'd raced all the way there, and Treecko and Mudkip had ended up winning with Wigglytuff in a close second. Solay and Shadow came in third, and Chatot, Dugtrio, and Diglett tied for fourth. Corphish and Bidoof had been fighting for fifth, and Sunflora and Chimeco came in sixth with Loudred close behind them. Croagunk hadn't found the motivation to try very hard, and he wound up in eight. They all had fun, however, and no one was a sore loser.

"Hah, you beat us," Shadow panted. "You win, fair and square. I don't have anything on me right now, so I'll pay up when we get back to Treasure Town."

Treecko thought this was fair. Shadow didn't strike him as someone who breaks his word. He nodded, bent double over, gasping for breath.

After a break, everyone helped set up the tents. Corphish got stuck under one of them, and Shadow had to fish him out. But soon enough, they were up. Everyone gathered around Wigglytuff and Chatot.

"Okay, now we're going to split up into teams," the musical bird told them. "Sunflora, Loudred, and Dugtrio will be in the first group. Diglett, Chimeco, and Croagunk will be in the second. Bidoof will be traveling with the Guildmaster and I." (Wigglytuff sulked, complaining that this "was just like last time.") Chatot continued: "Treecko and Mudkip will be with Team Sky by recommendation."

Shadow winked at them. Mudkip grinned, waving back.

Chatot fluttered his wings. "Okay, crew, shove off!"

"HOORAY!" came the cheer, and the teams dispersed.

Solay jerked her head towards Hollow Forest, smiling encouragingly at Team Treekip. "We'll go slow. The forest isn't particularly deep, and there's a lot of great scenery," Solay said.

"Cool," Treecko replied. "Let's go!" He was ecstatic. It had always been his dream to go exploring with Team Sky. It was a dream he shared with a lot of young explorers, but to think he was one of the very few who actually got to meet them! Treecko was almost overwhelmed, but he kept his cool. It would be stupid to lose it now.

Treecko led the way, followed closely by Mudkip. Shadow was behind her, and Solay was just behind him, usually walking on his left side unless there was a narrow space they had to go through. As they approached a fork in the path, Solay had them stop.

"Look," she said, nodding to the tree in the middle.

It was an old birch tree split down the middle. At the top, the two sides hung down over each path. The dappled sunlight moved around the tree when the wind blew, giving it an almost mystic quality. It was a beautiful tree.

"Wow," Mudkip breathed. "Super ultra mega cool."

"There's a legend about this tree," Shadow said. "Long ago, it stood proud and tall, only second in height to the mighty oak at the end of the forest. When the forest was young, this tree flourished. But then a fire ravaged the area, and lightning forked from the sky. The ground shook, and the sky split."

"When the destruction was over," Solay picked up, "this tree, nicknamed the Weeping Elder Birch, was the only one left standing. It was a lonely existence, and the tree, which had been split by a bolt of lightning, bent its branches and began to cry over the loss of its comrades."

"Celebi, the guardian of the forest, heard this cry." Shadow was telling the tale again. "She flew across the bonds of time and space and found the now old Birch tree. When asked if it wanted to be saved as well, the Birch replied with, 'I am old now, Celebi. Please, leave me to guard this place until my last breath. Take my voice, and use it to heal this place. Take my voice, and use it to create a new watch tree, deep in the forest.' And so Celebi did as the Weeping Elder Birch asked, and that was how the Mighty Oak arose, and the Hollow Forest was healed."

Treecko was nodding slowly. "That's a sad story," he said softly.

"Mm, but not all stories have happy endings," Solay replied. "This one is semi-sweet. But, it is what it is." She padded over to the birch and bowed her head, closing her eyes for a moment. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. A minute later, she raised her head and stepped back. Shadow bowed before the tree too, and did the same. Unsure of what to do, Treecko and Mudkip exchanged a glance. Solay saw their confusing, and her face softened.

"You don't have to bow to the tree," she said. "But it's the respectful thing to do. We are, after all, standing on its roots."

Treecko swallowed, feeling nervous. He didn't want to look like a fool, but he didn't want to be disrespectful. _Well, it's only Solay and Shadow and Mudkip…they won't make fun of me._ He approached the tree too. He looked up into its still white branches. A soft breeze blew, and they creaked as the moved a little. Treecko's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. In the breeze, he could have sworn he heard an ancient voice whisper "_Remember…_" He shook his head. _No, that's stupid…_ Not sure of what to say, he dumbly said, "Um…thanks for letting us pass through here, Weeping Elder Birch."

"Yeah, thanks," Mudkip added in a small voice.

They backed away and rejoined Solay and Shadow. Casting a glance back at the tree, Treecko took the lead again. Something moved in the corner of his eye, but it was just the wind moving the branch again.

It looked like the tree was waving.

…~-

Kinda creepy, huh? O.o Anyway, working on the next chapter. Thanks to all of you for being paitent!


	6. Boss Battle! An Impossible Foe

Okay, here it is, guys! Chapter six is finished! I'd actually been planning this part of it for another time in Brine Cave, but that was before I put it up here. Besides, I might as well get the actual plot in motion now. XD

…~-CHAPTER SIX: Boss Battle! An Impossible Foe

Solay showed them all around the forest. Besides the Weeping Elder Birch, there were other spectacular sights. She showed them a rainbow with both ends not fifteen feet from each other, maintained only in the single clearing, and a waterfall that fell up instead of down! She explained it was because of the way the ground sloped, but Treecko still thought it was cool.

Now they were taking a break and eating. Shadow leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky. Mudkip and Solay had their apples in between their paws and gnawed on them. Treecko picked his up with both hands and bit into it.

"Mm, things taste better when you work up an appetite," Mudkip mumbled through a mouthful of apple.

"Yeah," he agreed.

They ate in relative silence until Solay lifted her head and looked behind her. Treecko followed her gaze, but there was nothing there.

"Solay?" he asked quietly.

She didn't turn around until the supposed threat had passed. She met his gaze, blinked, and shook her head. "It was nothing. Never mind. I must be loosing it."

Shadow looked to where she had been staring, then back at Solay. He said nothing, but did this several times.

Treecko and Mudkip were getting worried. Were they being followed by someone or something? But the rest of lunch finished without any ambushing. When Mudkip was finished, Solay stood and motioned for Treecko to take the lead again.

He led them deeper and deeper into the forest. The shadows were getting thicker, but it didn't disturb him. He had Solay and Shadow with him.

Up ahead was a light. He slowed, and when Solay nodded that it was okay to continue, he swallowed and stepped into the clearing. He had to blink several times to adjust his vision, and then gasped at what was in front of him.

In front of him was the biggest tree in perhaps the entire land. If fifty of him were to lay down with their arms and tails touching, they might make it a third of the way around. And if two hundred of him were to stand on each other's shoulders, they might make it to the first branch, which was maybe a fourth of the whole tree. Beside him, Mudkip was also grasping the situation, for she let out a squeak.

Solay giggled behind him. "That's about the same reaction Shadow and I had when we first found this place," she explained, padding past them. "It's huge, isn't it?"

"H-h-h-huge?" Treecko stuttered. "It's…it's…"

"Super ultra mega _ginormus_!" Mudkip finished loudly.

"That isn't a word, Mudkip," Treecko muttered.

"It is now," she retorted.

"And you know the cool part of it?" Solay called from beside the tree. Treecko looked at her, dwarfed by this huge freak of nature.

"What?" Treecko asked, walking to her side.

Solay raised a paw and struck the tree. A curious note echoed from the wood, almost as if… "It's partially hollow!" she said gleefully. "Do you get it now?"

"Hollow…Hollow Forest, oh, I get it!" Mudkip exclaimed. "Did you guys discover this place or something?"

"Sorta," Shadow replied. "No one knew the tree was hollow until we came, and before we offered renaming the place, it was called Oak Forest." He nodded to the tree. "This is the mighty oak from the legend I told you earlier."

"Wooowwwww…" Mudkip breathed, tilting her head back to look up.

Team Treekip stared in awe at this amazing structure for a few minutes, then their necks started to hurt and they looked back down. Solay was grinning at them. She padded away from the tree and into the sunlight, where she sat and tilted her head to the sun.

"It's warm," she said simply.

Shadow leaned over to whisper in Treecko and Mudkip's ears. "She's in a philosophical mood now. Watch out."

"Heard that," Solay told him, flicking an ear in his direction.

He waltzed over to her, asking in a bored tone, "Is a rock going to fall on my head for whispering, my lady?" He was grinning too, though.  
>"Mm, maybe," she replied mischievously.<p>

He chuckled and swept her up, dancing around the clearing with Solay flailing in his arms, squeaking like an enraged Pichu.

"Shadow, put me down," she laughed.

"As you wish," he replied regally, setting her back on terra firma.

"Ewwwww, gross," Mudkip whined from beside Treecko. "You two act like my parents!"

They both bent double over, laughing, and Treecko couldn't help but join in. Mudkip looked between the three for a few heartbeats, then started a mad giggling fit too.

When Solay finally caught her breath, and sighed. "Well, I guess the only thing to do now is to wait for the others to show up. Maybe—" Her eyes narrowed, looking off to the side of the clearing. She fixed her stance into a battle one, a growl forming low in her throat.

"Come out of there," she said, deadly calm. "I can feel your need to kill. It's nauseating."

Shadow, likewise, had taken a ready stance. He moved his hand in a subtle motion for Treecko and Mudkip to join him. Scared now, they hurried over behind him.

Solay's growl grew louder, and her calm voice now held a sharp demand in it. "Come out!" she barked. "Right now!"

"Fine." A figure emerged from the shadows slowly, and the light fell upon his form. He was tall and human-like with blades on his arms. As he appeared, he crossed one arm over his chest and bowed, sweeping the other out behind him. "Glad to meet your acquaintance," he said. "My name is—"

"Gallade," Solay finished. "Yeah, I know. You're near the top of my Most Wanted List."

"Well, I'm delighted you've heard of me," he replied, not finding this surprising. He gave a nod to Shadow as well, who drew back just a fraction of an inch. "And hello to Team Treekip as well."

Beside him, Mudkip drew in her breath sharply. "H-how do you know us?" Treecko stammered.

"My employer speaks highly of you four," Gallade answered, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "I was instructed to attack you all by ambush, ergo taking everyone out quickly, but I guess we'll have to change the plan." A murderous light entered his once gentlemanly eyes, and he took his stance. "A frontal assault was my Plan B."

Solay took a half step back, still growling. "Sorry, Treecko," she said, and before he knew what she was going to do, she turned a light speed and scooped him up on her back. Shadow looped Mudkip under one of his arms and took off after Solay. Treecko clung to her fur for life. Beside him, Shadow was easily keeping up, even at the break-neck pace Solay had set.

"Can we slow down a little?" Mudkip asked, bumping up and down under Shadow's arm. "I think I'm getting motion sickness…"

"Sorry, no time," Solay replied. "We've got to get away from him _now_. He's only after us at the moment, but if we'd stuck around after he defeated us, he might have gonna after the Guild members. And we can't have that." Treecko felt her hind legs bunch as a fallen tree trunk loomed up above him. It was at least five times her height, there was no way—!

She leaped up. The whole jump was in slow-motion for Treecko. Solay was flying up to the top of the trunk. Her back feet touched, and she immediately pushed off, soaring through the air until she landed a good eleven feet from the trunk. Solay bit her tongue from crying out. Her front paw hadn't landed quite right. But there was no time. She had a second's pause, then started sprinting again.

Treecko was in awe. She could go this far, that fast, with him on her back. But she was forcing herself to keep the pace steady, he could tell. She wasn't putting her full weight on one of her paws. _Solay probably hurt it in the fall,_ he told himself guiltily.

As they reached the Weeping Elder Birch, Solay drastically decreased the pace. "I need to rest," she gasped, and fell onto her side, throat burning. Shadow was likewise doubled over, coughing and rubbing his neck. Solay lifted her forepaw and licked it a few times, then put it back down.

Treecko and Mudkip felt useless. All they could do was stand by and watch as their heroes caught their breath while a powerful enemy was closing in behind. Treecko had a case of walking on coals. He paced back and forth, chewing the inside of his lip.

Shadow was the first to recover, and he looked up at the Elder Birch. Suddenly, he froze up and didn't move. Solay's gaze narrowed, and she stood up slowly. There was silence from Treecko and Mudkip as they watched her go over to her partner.

Treecko didn't know why, but she shouldn't go near him. If she did, it would be bad. No more. She can't go. No…no…no, no, no! He opened his mouth to tell her to stop, but his voice wouldn't come. It was like the world was holding its breath. There was no air to breath. There was only Solay walking to her doom.

She stopped just behind him, off to the side. "Shadow?"

There was no reply.

She made to walk around to see his face. Treecko tried to move, to pull her away, but his feet were stuck to the ground. His legs were too heavy. They wouldn't do what his brain was telling him.

Solay stood in front of Shadow, looking into his face. "Shadow?" she repeated.

It happened almost too fast for Treecko and Mudkip to see. Shadow spun around, raising his leg in the process, and round-house kicked Solay straight to the other side of the clearing. She hit a tree and made a large indent in it. Her limp form slid to the ground, and she lay still.

Treecko wasn't paralyzed anymore, but his limbs were like jello. "S-S-Solay…"

"Arceus above," Mudkip whispered, eyes dilated with fear. "Oh my…Shadow!" Her tone grew fierce. "Shadow, what was that for! You could've killed her!"  
>He turned slowly, menacingly, and fixed them in his stare. His eyes…there was no white in them at all. It was all red…the color of murder.<p>

"Now, tell me, who's Shadow again?" he asked, cracking a demonic grin.

…~-

O_O I am diabolical, aren't I? 8)


	7. Making the Impossible Possible

All righty, here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon. Duh. xD But, seriously, no stealing my stuff. Okay? Get it? Got it? Good.

…~-CHAPTER SEVEN: Making the Impossible Possible

"Now, tell me, who's Shadow again?" the Riolu asked, cracking a demonic grin.

This was probably the worst situation Treecko could imagine. Solay was out cold, thrown into a tree by her ever-trusted partner, who now had a dark side and was booku times stronger than he and Mudkip. And there was also a psychopathic psychic-type hunting them down. Oh, yes, this was the best day ever.

Shadow turned, his gaze boring into them. "You…you aren't worth my time right now. I need the girl." He turned his head to where Solay lay.

Treecko found his strength, and ran in front of him. "No! You can't have her!" His bravery died when Shadow looked down at him. _What did I just get myself into…?_

Mudkip bounded to his side. "That's right! You'll have to go through us first!"

Shadow, or what they supposed was him, was silent for a long time. Then, he looked them both in the eye. "Fine. I'll get rid of you two, and then I'll kill her."

Mudkip swallowed. "Here he comes, Treecko!"

…:: BOSS BATTLE: Shadow! ::…

Shadow lashed out at them both, sending them skidding with the force of his fists. Treecko recovered first, and, shouting "Razor Leaf!" attacked. His opponent was unusually slow, and only dodged the first flight of leaves. A second hit him in the back, which sent him to his knees.

Mudkip narrowed her eyes a little. Something was weird…and not just how Shadow was acting. Deciding to risk it, she shouted, "Hey, you, with the mask! Over here!" She jumped around a little bit, drawing attention to herself.

He took the bait, and rushed at her. Mudkip jumped out of the way and hit him in the back with a Water Gun. As Shadow was sent staggering, she landed by Treecko's side.

"Treecko, do you notice anything different about him?" Mudkip asked in a low tone, as so not to be heard.

"Besides the fact that he's assaulting us?"

"Yes, besides that," she hissed. "Like in the way he attacks."

Treecko studied his enemy. He played the incidents over from when Solay was slammed into a tree, and the lightbulb went off. "He's not using any moves! He's just punching us!"  
>"Right," Mudkip replied with a nod. "But why?"<p>

They didn't have any more time to talk, because Shadow was back for Round Two. He went after Treecko, who was having a heck of a time dodging all the flying fists. One met its mark on his middle, leaving him doubled over and gasping. Shadow socked him across the clearing while he had the chance. Treecko got unsteadily to his feet to see Mudkip getting pummeled as well.

He ground his teeth. "Hey, over here you big jerk!" he yelled, waving his arms.

Shadow looked up and turned his way. Mudkip opened one eye, but else wise stayed on the ground.

Shadow started running for Treecko. Treecko waited until he was too close to dodge, and then shouted, "RAZOR LEAF!"

"What?" Shadow gasped, eyes widening, but it was too late. The razor-sharp leaves engulfed him just as his punch slammed into the side of Treecko's face.

They were sent flying in opposite directions. Treecko slammed into the Weeping Elder Birch, and Shadow skidded to a halt, still on his feet, near the middle of the clearing. Treecko was out cold, and Shadow was still standing.

"Treecko, no!" Mudkip screamed from where she lay.

Shadow exhaled. "Whew, little twerp nearly had me." He shifted his gaze to the blue creature not far from him. "Your turn, missy."

…

Treecko heard none of this. Everything was strangely peaceful and tinted white. He knew he was still in the clearing, but Shadow, Mudkip, and Solay were no where to be seen. The sun was shining, and the wind was blowing.

"Am…I dead?" Treecko asked himself aloud. Surprised by his own voice, he looked around.

"_No, no, you are not deceased,_" rumbled an oddly familiar voice from behind him.

Treecko's breath caught. If he turned around, what would he find? Something bad, maybe? But no…this place was too…too _pure_ for that. Figuring it was worth a shot, he turned around.

There was nothing there except for the swaying branches of the Weeping Elder Birch. Puzzled, Treecko looked around. There wasn't anything else except for him and the old tree. Then where could the voice–?

"_Right here, young one,_" the voice said again, and Treecko knew – without really knowing he knew – that it was the tree. Very carefully, he walked towards it. He feared one wrong step, one slip up, and the whole scene would shatter into a thousand pieces. "_It is stable, I assure you,_" the voice came again, slightly amused.

"Who…are you?" Treecko breathed.

"_You already know._" The tree creaked, as if cracking an ancient smile. The voice was so old, so filled with experience…perhaps this tree really had been around for as long as Solay said.

"You…you're the Weeping Elder Birch." Treecko stated it, not asked it.

"_Yes… I am the Weeping Elder Birch tree… Treecko, you don't know what lengths these enemies are going to go._" The tree paused. "_It is unclear for me as well. Right now, one of them has warped young Shadow's mind._"

"Gallade," Treecko said immediately with a hint of venom. "I should have known. Maybe that's why he won't use his moves and is kinda slow."

The tree creaked again. "_Correct. I can do nothing in my current state to help you…except for this._"

The most amazing thing happened next. As Treecko watched the tree, it was replaced with a sleeker, younger version of the same tree. The lightning fork wound healed, and it stood tall and proud in the sunlight. A lower branch came down and stopped in front of him. It moved up and down a little, then slowly reached out and touched Treecko on the forehead.

Images, sounds, words, feelings. They all poured into his head at the speed of light. The power of sunlight, the quenching thirst of rain, the heart-wrenching sorrow to know you're left alone in the world, and the joy of a new awakening. And Treecko felt reenergized. His body was light as a feather and drumming with power.

The branch pulled away, and the image started to fade.

"_My gift to you…_" whispered the Weeping Elder Birch.

…

Treecko slowly opened his eyes. The light was strong, and he squinted, trying to see. He was back in the battle. Solay lay unconscious by the tree with the massive indent. Shadow stood over Mudkip, who wasn't moving much. They both had weakened each other a lot. But by how much? Treecko didn't know how long he'd been out.

It didn't matter, though. He could take a thousand enemies stronger than Shadow. He could take them all right now with his hands tied behind his back and blindfolded.

"Shadow!" he called, standing. "Or should I call you Gallade?"

At the mention of his real name, Shadow-Gallade's head swung around. The eyes were narrowed to slits. "How did you find out?"  
>"Wild guess," he replied, hopping from the tree roots. He looked up into its branches. <em>Thank you, Weeping Elder Birch. Now I can finish this fight and save everybody. <em>He switched his gaze to Shadow, who stepped away from Mudkip to face him.

"Fine," he replied, but there was a note of uncertainty in his voice. "Just try and defeat Shadow! He's stronger than you will ever be."

"Okay, I will!" Treecko yelled back, taking a running start. He was faster now, but Gallade had gotten a better handle on Shadow's body, and was also moving faster. They ran at each other. Treecko raised his fist and felt the swirling energy around it. "Mega Drain!"

They collided in the middle. Shadow-Gallade was thrown back and lay on his stomach. Treecko slid back a few paces, but kept his footing. The Riolu lifted his head, a snarl creeping across his face.

"You did not…"

"I will and I will again," Treecko replied matter-of-factly. "Come on! I can beat you!"

"Your pitiful parlor tricks won't work on Shadow that well," he replied, getting to his feet.

Treecko hated to admit it, but it was true. His Mega Drain wouldn't do that much damage against someone like Shadow. He needed a more powerful attack.

The answer came to him at once. _Solar Beam. But…I don't know that move! Maybe…with the new power I have, I can figure it out. But I need someone to distract him while I charge it up…_

Mudkip lurched to his side, determined. "You have that look in your eyes," she muttered. "What are you planning?"  
>He started, looking at her. "Mudkip? Are you okay?"<p>

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I've still got some fight left in me."

Treecko hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. Do you think you can distract him for me?"

"No sweat!" she replied, leaping straight into battle.

Treecko closed his eyes. He concentrated on the old tree's memories. The power of sunlight…how did it feel again? The memory was fresh, and easy to pull up. Treecko lost himself in it, and he was dimly aware of the same occurrence going on in the real world. He was learning Solar Beam!

Mudkip was thrown away, and didn't have the strength to get up again. Her vision was fuzzy, and it was all faded black around the edges. Shadow-Gallade stood over her, grinning that demonic grin.

"Say goodni—"

"Hey, you!" Treecko shouted. He wasn't finished charging the attack, but if Shadow ran slow enough, he might be able to finish. He wasn't about to lose Mudkip for the sake of time. "Yeah, you! Over here!"

Shadow-Gallade snorted. "You want to die first? Sure!" He came running. With every step he took, Treecko was another step closer to finishing. It would be close. Very close. It would probably catch them both in the blast. But he no longer cared. Both of them were just set on winning the fight.

Three steps away, and Treecko's energy was finished charging. Two steps away, and he was shouting "SOLAR BEAM!"

One step away. Everything was in slow motion. Shadow-Gallade's eyes were widening, and the bright blast was coming from Treecko's mouth. He screamed, but everything went white.

Treecko was enveloped in the blast. It shot straight up like a signal beacon and engulfed both Shadow and him.

His last thought was Solay would've been proud.

…~-

:3 I had actually been meaning to split this fight into two parts, but I figured it would be better just to post the whole thing, so here you go.


	8. Solay's Reflections

Wow, chapter eight already. :3 Thanks to all of my readers!

…~-CHAPTER EIGHT: Solay's Reflections

The light shot up and into the sky. Everyone in the vicinity of Hollow Forest saw it. Even a keen-eyed watchman from Treasure Town might have spotted it. But there it was, pointing straight up, glimmering ominously.

Fifty feet away, Gallade opened his eyes. "Hmmph. Little twerp. But my mission is done." He turned in the opposite direction. "I never meant to kill. My mission was to gather information. The job is done." With a few quick steps, the psychic-type was gone.

Wigglytuff, Bidoof, and Chatot were the closest to the source.

Chatot squawked. "W-what was that?"

"Yup yup, it looked eeriee," Bidoof added in a small voice.

"We should check it out," Wigglytuff said calmly. "I have a suspicion…" He didn't finish his sentence and simply started walking quickly for the site.

…

Bidoof and Chatot weren't prepared for the scene they saw. Mudkip lay closest to them, broken and battered. Shadow and Treecko were unconscious in a slightly smoking crater. Solay lay by the tree, unresponsive.

"W-w-w-wh…" Bidoof couldn't form any coherent words. "W-what…"

"S-s-squawk!" Chatot replied likewise. "What did they do, rip each other apart?"

"This doesn't look good at all," Wigglytuff said. "Come on, we need to get them back to the camp."

"R-right," both Bidoof and Chatot replied numbly.

…

Solay was the first to awaken. She groaned and opened one eye, being blinded by the light temporarily. Chimeco floated above her, watching everyone carefully. As she saw the Vulpix was awake, she turned her attention to focus upon her.

"Solay, you're awake!" she exclaimed in a rather hushed voice. "How do you feel?"

"Sore," she mumbled in reply, heaving herself into a sitting position. "Ughh…I don't even remember what really happened."

"Oh…" Chimeco's face fell. "We were hoping you could tell us. I guess you hit your head hard, huh?"

She gave a little shrug. "I guess so. I remember going to check on Shadow, 'cause he froze up, but that's about it. The rest is a fuzzy blank."

Chimeco sighed. "Oh well. We'll just have to wait for the others."

Solay looked over. Shadow, Treecko, and Mudkip were all out not far from her. Out of all of them, she thought Treecko looked the most beaten up.

She tried to remember what had happened. Shadow had stopped. She'd gone to check on him. Had he…attacked her? Maybe. But why?

She remembered her vision. The Dimensional Scream. She hadn't told Shadow yet. In fact, it had been three and a half plus years since it had been triggered. This peaked her curiosity. Why now, of all times, and why when she bumped into a new recruit? Surely this didn't go that deep? There was a new evil they'd have to take down, so what. Perhaps…Mudkip and Treecko had something to do with it.

At the thought of Treecko, a flood of memories swamped her mind. Solay could only watch as they played over and over again in her head.

…

"_Go on," Dusknoir encouraged. "Say the name."_

_Grovyle hesitated. "My partner's name…was Solay."_

"_Ahh!" Shadow cried. "But…Grovyle…" He turned to the Vulpix beside him and back again. "This is Solay right here!"_

"_W-what?" he said, turning quickly to look her in the face. "No, impossible. The Solay I knew…was human."_

A…human? _Solay thought, panicked. _W-what?

"_That's what I'm saying!" Shadow insisted. "This is Solay! She _was_ a human!"_

"_I-impossible!" Grovyle hissed._

"_Let me assure you, Grovyle," Dusknoir rumbled, "that the Pokémon behind you is indeed Solay. Her memory loss was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was so easy to manipulate them both. I questioned her. She had the ability, the Dimensional Scream. At first, I was skeptical. But then she said, low and behold, that she had memory of being a human! I asked her name. It was indeed Solay. At last, I could get you both with one blow! It's hopeless to resist."_

_Solay was in a state of semi-shock that evening. After Grovyle had explained things…it did make a sort of sense. But was that really her life? Had it really been like that? It was so hard to believe. Her life with Shadow…it seemed so…right. And now he was being pulled into something that wasn't even his fault._

_She put her paws over her head, tormented. _It's all my fault, it's all my fault…

_Those words finally put her into an uneasy sleep._

_Dusknoir was waiting at the Ruins. Of course. They should have known. It was so obvious it was sickening. How could they have fallen for it? Solay was furious with herself. She could have said something! She could have warned them!_

_She wasn't about to lose the fight here. She would take them all down. With Grovyle and Shadow by her side, she could never lose!_

Come at us, Dusknoir, _she thought venomously, facing him straight on. _We're ready for you.

"_Shadow, put the Relic Fragment in the Rainbow Stoneship," Grovyle instructed._

"_Right," he replied, heading up the steps._

_Once he was out of earshot, Dusknoir stirred. Now all three Pokémon from the future were alone. Dusknoir lifted his head, staring at Solay._

"_Is this really what you want?" he asked._

_Dread seized her insides and turned them to ice. _…W-what?

"_If you change the past…the Pokémon from the future will disappear."_

_Alarm shot through her system. She looked at Grovyle, terrified. He didn't meet her eyes, and slowly nodded. "It's true, Solay," he said in a small voice. "But you saw what was there. A world of darkness…a world of hate. I don't want to live in a world like that. I'd give my life to ensure a better future. And so I came here with that pledge. You did too, Solay. We both came with that conviction. We knew that we would disappear…but we did it anyway."_

_No. Things were moving too fast. She'd come…with the conviction to change the past, even if it meant disappearing…forever? If they went through with this…she'd be…gone? What about Shadow? He'd be left all alone. And after the promises they'd made. She had promised…to never leave his side._

_Had it all been…a lie?_

_She couldn't face up to this. It was too much. Her heart, her mind, they were both being torn into many small pieces. If she went through with it, she would know everyone had a lovely future, but Shadow would be alone. If she didn't…she could still be with him, but Grovyle and the others would suffer._

It's…such an impossible choice! What do I do?

_He was pushing Dusknoir back. He was leaving. He was taking Dusknoir back so they could go on. No…they needed him here! Solay was crying, but not conscious of it. Shadow was protesting, saying he could never take Grovyle's place._

"_Solay," he said._

_She looked up into his face. Her partner for who-knows how many years…and she'd forgotten all about him. Now he looked at her like she hadn't. "Parting hurts, I know. But…you have to be strong."_

_She nodded slowly, trying to keep her emotions under control._

_Grovyle turned his attention back to Dusknoir. "Okay, Dusknoir. I'm taking you with me! We're going back to the future!"_

_Just as he vanished, Solay thought she saw something crystal in the corner of his eye…_

_Shadow was picking up the Time gears Grovyle had left him. Solay wiped her eyes on her paw._

His…last words…_ she thought. _They weren't about…leaving me… They were about…leaving Shadow… _She looked at him. He'd grown so much… _Oh, Shadow…

…

She buried her face in her paws again, trying not to cry at the thought of him. Even to this day…she missed him. She was sure, wherever he was, he missed her too.

Chimeco floated over her, anxious. "Solay? Solay, are you all right?"

She gave a small nod. "Yes, Chimeco," she whispered. "I may not be right now, but I will be soon…promise."

…~-

And there ends chapter eight.

As an off-topic note, I would like to dedicate this chapter for everyone involved in 9-11 who lost something that day, ten years ago. We honor you all.


	9. Dimensional Scream Vision Revealed

Here we go, chapter nine. Solay is gonna reveal what she saw now.~

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon/Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. However, Solay, Shadow, Mudkip, Treecko, etc. belong to me.

…~-CHAPTER NINE: Dimensional Scream Vision Revealed

Mudkip was the next to awaken. Solay took her outside, away from everyone, to talk.

"What do you need?" the smaller one asked once they were far enough away.

Solay was quiet for a long time. She wasn't sure how to explain things. "Well, Mudkip, you see…I haven't been completely honest with you. So you remember, just before the expedition, when I bumped into you?"

"Yeah, I think so," she replied, racking her brain.

…

_Reaching the top of the steps, Treecko looked back. Mudkip bounded up next to him, and Solay appeared next. She drew up beside him, but accidently bumped Mudkip from behind._

"_Whoops, sorry, Mudkip," she said. Solay opened her mouth to say something else, but cut herself off, swaying on her feet a little. She corrected her stance to compensate and shut her eyes tightly. From behind him, Treecko heard Shadow draw in his breath sharply. Treecko looked between the two, bamboozled._

"_Wha—?" he asked, but Shadow slapped his paw over Treecko's mouth._

"_Shh," he hissed in the grass-type's ear. "Don't speak. We can't disturb her right now."_

…

Mudkip nodded. "Yeah, I remember it. What about it?"

Solay bit her lip. "Well, see, there's an ability I have called the Dimensional Scream."

By the look of puzzlement on the other's face, Solay found it was safe to assume Mudkip knew nothing of this. "Dimensional…Scream?" she repeated slowly.

Solay nodded. "Yes. When I touch something, I see a past or future event connected to it."

"Hey, that's cool!" Mudkip said excitedly. "Did you see something about me? Well, did ya? Did ya?"

"Slow down, there," Solay said, raising a paw. "I did see something…but it was something…I didn't like. I debated on weather or not to tell you. But…I guess now is as good a time as ever."

Mudkip's face fell a little. Solay had seen something…bad? Like what? "What did you see?" she asked in a quieter tone.

"Mudkip…" Solay's voice was filled with regret. She looked her right in the eye. "Mudkip, I saw you drowning."

…

Treecko couldn't figure out where he was. It was all dark, and everything was shaded with gray or a purpleish color. He could tell there were others around him, but he didn't know if they were on his side or not, so he kept his mouth shut. One of them stirred, looking to a smaller shape beside it.

"How's the plan coming?" it asked. Treecko recognized this as Alakazam.

"It's coming along well enough," the other replied. This had to be Gallade. The voice held that cold yet gentlemanly note in it. "Our agent is still collecting information. I just went to make sure he wasn't slacking."

_Agent?_ Treecko wondered. _What agent? Where? Who?_ He considered going closer, but decided not to risk it. They might see him. Granted, he could barely see them, but still.

"It would be just like him to slack off," Alakazam scoffed. "I don't trust him. How do we even know he's on our side?"

Were they talking about Shadow? Or, maybe, Wigglytuff? Treecko had no idea who this spy was…

"Relax, Alakazam," Gallade replied. "He'll do fine. Remember, he was born for that role. Get close to them, learn everything they can, and then bring them all in to the boss."

A high, feminine voice laughed. "Oh, you boys are so funny."

Both sets of eyes shifted to a third set that had appeared. They were red in the gloom. Gallade and Alakazam both knelt before this being.

"Umbreon, how very nice of you to come," Gallade said. "I never thought one of _his_ closest advisors would come to us."

Umbreon giggled insanely. "Now, now, my dear Gallade… You know how much _he_ likes to check up on progress."

"Everything is going according to plan," Alakazam replied. "You have no need to worry."

"And the boy?" she asked, a serious note entering her voice.

"He isn't aware of what he is yet," Gallade replied. "Although, in the fight against Shadow, something extraordinary happened…"

"Oh? Tell me."

Gallade looked up at her. "He connected with that old tree. The one they call the Weeping Elder Birch. The tree gave him power. He trumped Shadow without a second thought."

"Hmm." Umbreon was silent for a long time. Just as Treecko was about to walk forward and demand to know what was going on, she spoke again. "Well, keep an eye on him. Tell our operative to watch him closely." The high-pitched crazy note entered her voice again, and she began to sing. "_Here I go, all through the valley, 'You are such a naughty boy' I said and pop!_" She turned, looking straight at him. He could see her teeth bent in that feral grin, the eyes glowing even redder. Treecko was paralyzed with fear. "_Off goes his head!_"

…

Treecko's eyes snapped open and he scrambled into a sitting position. He was alone in a room. Three other beds lay by his, but they were all empty. Breathing hard, heart drumming in his chest, he swallowed. This wasn't the same place Gallade, Alakazam, and that crazed Umbreon had been. He slowly got up and peered out the door, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Shadow and Solay were sitting and talking with Mudkip not far away. The rest of the Guild had gathered. This was…a safe place. He withdrew his head and sank to his knees, shaking. Had that been…a dream? No…it had been too real. Perhaps he'd seen what Gallade had been doing then? Maybe the mind-link he'd done with Shadow had affected his own mind a little when his Solar Beam went off? Treecko shook his head. This was too weird. He had to tell Solay, Wigglytuff, somebody.

He got up and went out, looking around. Judging by the time of day, it was near dinner time. Alarm shot through Treecko. Had he been out that long? Someone called his name. Shadow waved him over. Treecko trotted pasted Corphish and joined them.

Mudkip was looking pretty down. Solay was chewing her lip too. Was there something he didn't know?

"Why the long faces?" he asked, looking back and forth between them. "What's going on?"

"Treecko…" Mudkip started. "Solay…she…has this ability. When she touches something, she sees its past or future. Remember when she bumped into me before the expedition?" Treecko nodded, and Mudkip continued. "Well, she saw something in my future."

"What? What did she see?" he asked.

Mudkip couldn't say it. She shook her head and stared at the ground. Treecko looked at Solay.

"What did you see?" he repeated.

Solay hesitated, then said, "I saw her drowning."

Treecko couldn't move. The whole world slowed and stopped. It shattered into a thousand tiny fragments, which then all stabbed him in the heart. It wasn't true…it couldn't be true… Mudkip…drowning?

"But…but…that…doesn't even make sense!" he protested. "Mudkip's a water-type! She can't _drown_!"

Solay shook her head. "It's unclear to me what it means. I'll try to figure it out, but for now, you shouldn't be too worried. I will figure out how to stop this from happening." She looked them both in the eye. "I promise."

Treecko trusted Solay. He nodded slowly. He believed she would really find a way to stop it. She could do it.

"Oh, that reminds me," he said quietly. "I had the weirdest dream…you might want to hear this."

…

Umbreon stayed where she was, poised. Her gaze slid back to Gallade. "Did he see it?" she asked.

He nodded. "Everything we said."

She smiled. "Good, good. We must keep him thinking he's moving on his own free will…but we're doing the real planning."

She jerked her head to the general direction where 'Treecko' had been. "Tell our operative to keep an eye on the girl, too."

"The Vulpix, Solay?" Gallade questioned.

"Yes, her," Umbreon dismissed. "She's a clever one. Make sure she doesn't find out."

"Understood, ma'am," he replied. They both shot off into the forest, leaving Umbreon alone. She started walking from the direction she came. "_Here I come, all through the forest, 'What a naughty boy' I said, and pop! Off goes his head~!_"

…

Two chapters in one day! :3 I'm out-doing myself. xD Anyway, have fun, kiddies!


	10. The Whole Truth! Solay's Scream

**WARNING! **Major spoilers for the game in this chapter! You have been warned.

Chapter ten, here we go! I know it's longer than the others, but decided to put it all in one anyway. It's better this way. :3

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon/Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. *Sighs*

…~-CHAPTER TEN: The Whole Truth! Solay's Scream

After reassuring various Guildmembers that they were okay, it was finally dinner time. Shadow joined Treecko and Mudkip around the table Wigglytuff had set up, but Solay stayed away. She spent most of dinner meditation by the forest's edge, eyes closed, reflecting on things that had happened. She was playing scenario after scenario over in her head to fid a solution. Treecko felt a little guilty because of this. There was Solay losing dinner over helping him and Mudkip. It just didn't seem fair.

She didn't move at all until Shadow got fed up with her just sitting there and brought her an apple. She nibbled on it a little, but didn't eat much anyway. This struck a nerve with the Riolu and he went over to have a shouting match with her.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself!" he was yelling. "You have to eat too!"

"I can do whatever I feel is right!" she snapped back, fur bristling.

"But this isn't right!" he shouted.

"Well I don't need your help!" Solay nearly screamed. "You're not my mother!"  
>"And you aren't my daughter!" he fumed back at her.<p>

By this time, the whole Guild had fallen silent, watching the two go at each other's throats.

"Well I'm leaving," Solay hissed.

The argument ended with a bout of "Fine!" from both sides and Solay storming off into the forest, ticked. Shadow stalked back towards them, looking quite foul. He walked right past the table and sat with his back to them, arms crossed sullenly over his chest. The apple perched, forgotten, on the ground with Solay's teeth marks in it.

No one dared go near Shadow until after dinner, when Bidoof approached hesitantly.

"Shadow, have you and Solay been at odds?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Shadow asked venomously, making Bidoof flinch.

Mudkip stepped in, glaring at Shadow. "Hey, that's not nice! You might be angry at Solay, but don't take it out on Bidoof!"

Shadow said nothing, so Mudkip went around to look him in the face. At once, her expression softened. "Shadow…"

He was crying, paws gripping at the ground. "I just…I don't know what to do… I feel so useless…"

Bidoof drew alongside, feeling rather sympathetic again. "It may be unclear right now, but it'll work out eventually, yup yup!"

Shadow wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yeah…I guess. I wish I could help Solay. She's been so stressed out lately…"

"Just give her a little time to let her head cool," Mudkip assured him. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

Shadow nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll just…wait for her to come back."

Treecko didn't join in this conversation and was deep in thought. _Solay can see the past or future of something she touches. Mudkip can drown. I can talk to trees. What the heck is wrong with the world? I must be going mad. It must've been a dream. After all, nobody else can talk to trees. _He shook his head violently. _This is stupid! None of it happened. That's right…nothing happened. It's too…weird!_

"Treecko, are you all right?" asked a voice.

Treecko started, looking over to Mudkip. She was looking at him, concerned. Treecko had to think fast. He had to find an excuse.

"Yeah, just a little frazzled," he said. _Well, it's not a complete lie._

She still looked doubtful, but nodded, letting the matter go. Shadow, however, didn't seem so ready to accept this.

"Come here, you two," he said, gesturing for them to sit with him. "I think…it's time I told you the whole truth about Solay. We can't continue unless we trust each other. She was planning on telling you anyway, but while she's cooling off, I might as well explain."

Treecko sat down, looking up at Shadow like a curious child. "The whole truth?"

He nodded. "Yes. The _whole_ truth. I won't leave any details out."

As the moon crossed the sky, Shadow spoke.

"Solay isn't any ordinary Vulpix. She used to be…a human."

"H-human?" Mudkip exclaimed.

Shadow merely nodded. "Yes, a human, I know. It's a rather large story. After all, a human? Here? Impossible, right? But there she was. I met her on a beautiful night with the sunset dying the sea orange and pink and indigo."

…

_The angle of the sun was just right where Shadow could look into it and not be blinded. It sat just above the edge of the waters, teasing the first streaks of night with its brilliance. The edges of the clouds were tinted orange. The bubbles the Krabby blew when it was nice out, like now, sparkled and reflected the sun's rays. It was…beautiful._

"_All these bubbles reflecting the setting sun's rays…" a slightly younger version of Shadow sighed. "This always cheers me up."_

_Chancing a glance towards the nearest Dungeon, Beach Cave, he happened upon a rather odd rock lying on the shore. His interest piqued, he turned toward it, puzzled._

"_What's that over there?" he wondered aloud, starting towards it. As he drew closer, alarm shot through him. That wasn't a rock! That was a Pokémon! He ran towards it._

"_H-hey! Are you okay? Wake up!"_

_His insistent cries reached the figures ears. She groaned, eyes flickering open blearily. The first thing she saw was a dark shadow over her, regal and majestic. "Sha…dow…?" she asked softly. As she heaved herself into a sitting position, the voice spoke again._

"_Thank goodness!" it said, relived. "You weren't moving at all! You scared me."_

_She looked closer at him. He…wasn't human. He was… "AHHHHH! TALKING POKÈMON!" She ran back and forth in distress. _

"_H-hey, w-wait," he said, looking rather flustered. "You're talking too, you know!"_

_She stopped and looked at him scornfully. "Well duh, I'm a human!"_

_He looked her up and down. "Human? But you look like a totally normal Vulpix to me."_

_Her heart stopped dead. A…Vulpix…? She looked down. Now that she realized it, she had been running on all fours. Twisting to look behind her, she had six tails. Padding to the ocean's edge, she peered over into the water, eyes squeezed shut. She was afraid to open them. But, still, her curiosity overpowered her fear, and she opened one eye._

_She nearly fainted. Staring back in the water…wasn't her face. It was that of the fire-type fox Pokemon Vulpix._

"_This is not how I went to bed last night," she declared, not quite knowing how she knew._

_The Riolu snickered despite himself. "Well, do you know how you got zonked out here?"_

_She turned quickly to face him. "I was…zonked out?" _That's weird… I…don't remember anything! _She started to panic, but then calmed herself. _Calm down, there's a good explanation for this… Yeah, and that's you're going insane!

_The Riolu wore a dubious expression. "Are you pulling some kind of joke on me?"_

_She quickly shook her head. "No!"_

_He still looked doubtful. "Well…okay, I guess. Your name. What's your name?"_

_She was eternally grateful she remembered her own name. "I'm Solay," she said._

_He nodded, smiling. "Hi, Solay! My name is Riolu. You have a nice name. Sorry I doubted you. More and more bad Pokemon have been cropping up lately, you see. But you seem okay." He smiled, offering a paw. "I hope we can be friends."_

…

"That's how it all started," Shadow said. "I found her on the Beach. Well, actually, I'm starting to think that it was really her who found me."

Treecko was silent. Solay was…a human? He opened his mouth to interject, but Shadow quickly held up a hand.

"Just wait. It gets crazier."

…

_Grovyle, a bandit from the future, was finally captured by Dusknoir, the honorable hero of the future. It had been Dusknoir's job to track down Grovyle and bring the notorious thief back to his own time. Everyone was sad to see him leave, but understood the gravity of the situation. The Sableye were just pushing a tied up and muzzled Grovyle into the Dimensional Hole when Dusknoir called two Pokemon up to him._

"_Ah, wait, before I go…I need to see two Pokemon," he said. "Solay and Shadow."_

_Shadow turned to his partner with teary eyes. "That's us. Come on, let's go up."_

_They both came forward to look Dusknoir in the face._

"_I guess this is goodbye," Shadow said._

"_Oh, no, my friend," Dusknoir said. His expression turned from polite sorrow to smug and triumphant. His voice took on a totally new turn that almost sounded…right. "It's too early for goodbyes!" He reached out and grabbed the both of them. "You two…are coming with me!"_

_Shadow started screaming, but he was dragged into the Hole before he could make a sound. Before the others caught on, the Hole was closed, and Team Sky were gone._

…

"You've been to the _future_?" Mudkip squeaked out.

"It gets crazier," Shadow said heavily.

"How much crazier can it get?" Treecko scoffed.

"Much," was Shadow's short reply before continuing.

…

_They were surrounded. Sableye on the left, Sableye on the right, Dusknoir in front, and Primal Dialga up on the cliff watching their every move. Things looked hopeless for Grovyle, Celebi, Shadow, and Solay. The Time Tunnel was only a few feet away, just behind Dusknoir. But they couldn't get to it! Their only escape was blocked._

_Grovyle was ready to accept defeat. "Fine, then. Get rid of me if you want. But…there's another."_

"_Another?" Shadow asked, astonished._

_Grovyle nodded. "Yes. My partner. We were traveling back to the past, but we got separated. But I know she's back there. She'll carry out the mission. She won't fail."_

_Dusknoir did a rather odd thing, then…he started _laughing_. It wasn't funny-joke laughter, it was all-of-my-dreams-have-come true laughter._

"_And what, pray tell, is the name of your companion?" he asked once the chuckles had subsided._

_Grovyle drew back slightly. "Why do you need to know?"_

"_Go on," Dusknoir encouraged. "Say the name."_

_Grovyle hesitated. "My partner's name…was Solay."_

"_Ahh!" Shadow cried. "But…Grovyle…" He turned to the Vulpix beside him and back again. "This is Solay right here!"_

"_W-what?" he said, turning quickly to look her in the face. "No, impossible. The Solay I knew…was human."_

A…human? _Solay thought, panicked. _W-what?

"_That's what I'm saying!" Shadow insisted. "This is Solay! She _was_ a human!"_

"_I-impossible!" Grovyle hissed._

"_Let me assure you, Grovyle," Dusknoir rumbled, "that the Pokémon behind you is indeed Solay. Her memory loss was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was so easy to manipulate them both. I questioned her. She had the ability, the Dimensional Scream. At first, I was skeptical. But then she said, low and behold, that she had memory of being a human! I asked her name. It was indeed Solay. At last, I could get you both with one blow! It's hopeless to resist."_

_Now Grovyle was in shock, he could only stare at the ground in the face of his failure. It was all going to be lost. Everything he'd worked for…everything…was going to go away._

_Solay was in shock as well. She was Grovyle's partner…from the future? It was too much information. Her brain was too cramped with the impossible. All logic had shut down. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe._

_Shadow turned desperately from Grovyle to Solay. "Grovyle…Solay…come on, we have to do something! We can't just give up here! What about all your work?"_

_Grovyle didn't respond. Shadow ground his teeth. "Come on, Solay, help me think of a plan!" The Sableye were drawing closer with every word. She didn't reply either. His words barely registered as coherent._

_Shadow turned away from them both, despair creeping into his heart. "We have to…do _something_…"_

…

They were both speechless. Nothing they'd ever heard had been so far-fetched. Mudkip was the first one to recover, but it took her four tried before she could form words.

"So…so you're saying that Solay is a human from the future who was a bandit's partner who had her memory wiped and has a special ability called the Demensional Scream?"

He nodded. "Pretty much."

"Ahh…" The word came out as a more of squeak-thing than an actual "Ah."

Treecko was next to speak. "Just…out of curiosity… you said Solay was from the future."

Shadow nodded.

"All right, but you, Solay, and Grovyle changed the past. Wouldn't that change the future and erase her existence?"

Shadow hesitated, but nodded, looked down at the ground. "Yes, it's true. If Solay changed the past, she would never have existed. That day…was the worst day in my life."

…

_Grovyle had left. He trusted Shadow and Solay enough to leave the job up to them. Yes, Shadow felt this was a great honor, but he was saddened by Grovyle's leaving. Solay was looking rather crushed too. She had, after all, been his partner, even if she didn't remember a single thing about the times they spent together._

_Now, they moved forward. They had to. If they were to save everyone Solay had come to know and love, and those in the future from their horrible fate, they had to move on._

_Shadow had no idea. He didn't know the future would vanish if they changed the past. Solay hadn't told him. She wasn't sure she could. It would be better…if he didn't know._

_Dialga lay defeated at their paws. After a long and hard-fought battle, they had done it. The world was safe. Shadow put the Time Gears into place._

_They had done it just in time._

_Now they were walking down from Temporal Tower on their way back to the Rainbow Stoneship. The rocky path led the way. Solay was having a hard time keeping up with him._

My limbs…they're…so heavy… Is…the time approaching? _She fell behind, and Shadow kept going. While he walked, she saw a little yellow light float up from the ground. No, not the ground._

_Her own paw._

_She knew. It was time to say their final goodbyes. Solay's time with Shadow was over. This world no longer needed her. She was fading from existence. To future generations…she would be nothing more than a fairy tale spoken by parents to soothe their children into sleep._

_Shadow came back. "Solay, we're almost there. Let's go." He stopped, catching sight of the light as well. "S-Solay? You're glowing!"_

"_I'm sorry, Shadow," she said, speaking for the first time in quite a while. He'd almost forgotten how her voice sounded. "I kept this from you for a long time now."_

"_K-kept what?"_

"_Shadow, we changed the past, which means we changed the future. Grovyle, Celebi, Dusknoir, and I…we will all…disappear."_

"_W-w-what?" There were little crystal things in the corners of his eyes now. "B-but…you can't leave!"_

"_I don't have any choice," she said softly, lowering her gaze to the ground. "This is where I say goodbye."_

"_No, you don't understand!" he shouted. "Solay, I need you! Without you…I…I…"_

"_No, Shadow, you have to live!"  
>He looked up. He couldn't see her eyes, but there was a smile on her lips. <em>

"_You have to live for me," she said. "Go back to Treasure Town and tell everyone what happened so that nothing like this ever happens again." She looked up. The light was getting brighter…and so were her eyes. It was almost time. "Tell everyone you meet our story. Don't let anyone forget me, okay?"_

_He swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded._

_The light nearly engulfed her now. It was time._

"_Shadow…even though I'm gone from here, I will never, _ever_, forget you," she whispered, smiling so her eyes were closed. A dingle tear slid down her cheek. "I never said this before now, and I guess it's just because I was too blind to see it… I love you, Shadow."_

_The tear dropped to the ground. At the exact moment it hit the rocks, the light grew to otherworldly blinding brilliance and she as gone._

_She was gone before he could say those three words too._

…

Mudkip was practically in tears too. She buried her face in Treecko's arms. "Oh, that's so sad," she sobbed.

Shadow had closed his eyes, regaining control over himself, then nodded. "Yes, I believe so."

"But…how is she here now?" Treecko asked, recovering.

…

_The sun sparkled on the waves, and the clouds were tinted orange. It had been such a long time since Shadow had seen this. The last time he'd seen it was…_

_Oh._

_It was the first time he met Solay._

_He turned slowly, looking at the spot where she had lain. He could almost see here there, crisp and sharp as the first day. It was like no time at all had passed._

_He'd been true to his word. He told the story wherever and whenever possible to whomever crossed his path. The tale stretched far and wide to all corners of the country. Everyone knew about Solay who'd given the ultimate sacrifice to save people who weren't even from her own time._

_Now, he remembered everything they'd done together. The cave behind the waterfall… the quicksand desert… confronting Drowsee… and defeating Dialga. Her final words, too…_

_He couldn't take it, and dropped to his knees, sobbing over the memory of his fallen comrade. That's how Bidoof found him moments later, doubled over in pain from a broken heart._

_ELSEWHERE-_

_Dialga stood atop Temporal Tower. "SHADOW… I FELT YOUR SORROW ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PEAK OF MY TOWER THAT DAY. IF, TO THIS DAY, YOUR FEELINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED… VERY WELL. I WILL GRANT YOUR WISH." He tipped his head back and roared a roar that could have shattered the sky. "THIS IS MY THANKS!"_

_BACK THERE-_

_Shadow had his face buried in Bidoof's fur, and didn't see the yellow light behind him forming into a ball. Bidoof pointed it out to him, and he immediately turned around. There, slightly disoriented, stood a very familiar figure with six tails and honey-brown fur._

"_SOLAY!" he cried, flinging himself at the Vulpix, sobbing uncontrollably. It took her a moment, but she recognized him too, and they both broke down, crying tears of joy at being reunited._

…

"And there you have it," Shadow said simply.

Treecko and Mudkip could do nothing but stare at him. It was quite a tale indeed. It was almost beyond Treecko's comprehension. But, after the events of the day, he was ready to believe almost anything. He just wanted to go to bed and wake up and find it had all been a bad dream, and he was back at the Guild with Mudkip waking up to run another errand. However he doubted it would happen.

And then they heard it. A piercing, terrified scream. They had never heard the Vulpix scream before, but had no doubt in their minds who it belonged to.

Shadow stood up and started running into the forest. "SOLAY!"

…

Yeah…sorry about the length. It was easier just to put it all in one. xD


	11. The Mighty Oak's Secret

Wow, chapter eleven already. Sorry for not updating these past few days. School has been messing with my mind. _ Like, seriously…Anyway, I'll be working on this as well as a few other things that I just recently got back into. I've already put a few up, and it's done. Now I gotta get back into this. My dad is being really controlling, so I won't be on as much to update. Gomen nasai!

…CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Mighty Oak's Secret

A scream tore the night. Treecko had never heard Solay scream before, but he automatically knew it was her. Shadow had shot off immediately, and with a quick glance at Mudkip, they, too, went to find her. Behind them, most of the Guild was trudging as fast as they dared to her rescue.

As they ran blindly through the forest, Treecko realized they had a problem. They had no idea where Solay was. They were just swerving through trees trying to find her. What good was this doing? She could be in a completely different direction. He looked ahead to Shadow, who was leaping between trees…with his eyes closed?

Treecko nearly tripped. How could he be doing that? He had his eyes shut tight, and the little black raindrop-shaped things on the side of his head were sticking straight out. Treecko blinked a few times, then it occurred to him. Shadow could sense aura, couldn't he? Yes, that was it. He was using his ability to pinpoint where Solay was. Treecko let out his breath. Good, so they did know where they were going.

"Something wrong, Treecko?" Mudkip asked from beside him.

He shook his head. "Nope. Just had a thought for a second, but I have an answer now."

Shadow led them all the way to the largest tree in the forest. It was the same clearing where they'd met Gallade earlier. Now, Shadow swung his head back and forth a little, scowling.

"Where is she? I can't sense her!"

"Over here," called a quavering voice. It was coming from the other side of a gigantic root, which was at least four times Shadow's height.

Treecko went first, having the best climbing ability. He poked his head over, looking down. Solay was looking up at him, standing on her back paws, front ones places on the root.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Treecko replied. "You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head. "No, I was just surprised. Who's with you?"

Before Treecko could reply, Shadow leaped up to join him, nearly toppling over without a hand from Treecko. "Solay, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she repeated. "Who's with you?"

"We're all here," Shadow replied.

She looked surprised. "Really? Did I scream that loud?"

"Yes!" Mudkip called loudly from the other side, causing Solay to smirk.

"Well…I found something." She lowered her front paws, going back down on all fours. Padding over to the tree, she placed a paw on it. The tree indented under her pawprint, and soon, her whole leg disappeared into it. Within a few moments, Solay was gone.

"OHMYLORDARCEUS!" Shadow fainted, and would've fallen if Treecko hadn't caught him.

"What? What's going on up there?" Mudkip called. "Come on, Treecko, tell us!"

Treecko couldn't find his voice to answer right away. It took him a few times, glancing on both sides of the root. "Well…Solay…went into the tree."

"Excuse me?"

"Just what I said," Treecko said shortly. "She went into the tree. She reached up and touched it and kinda…melted into it."

There was an awkward silence from everyone until Solay leaped up to join Treecko, startling him because he'd been facing the other way. Her back paws scrabbled for a grip, and she hauled herself to the top.

"I guess I should've warned you."

"Like heck you should've!" Treecko argued. "Oh, and Shadow fainted," he added after a slight pause.

"So I see." She studied him for a minute, then grinned diabolically and blew a little flame on him.

Shadow woke up instantly, limbs failing in every direction. "I'M ON FIRE! I'M ON FIIIREEE!" He fell off the branch and did a face-plant into the ground, which spawned laughter from everyone but him. He lifted his head from the ground, glaring up at Solay and Treecko. "I hate you."

"I know you do," she giggled. "Now, come on, everybody. We have a melting tree to investigate."

By some miracle or another, everyone managed to get around or over the root. When they were all assembled, Solay raised a paw again. It sunk right into the wood, and she was pulled in. There were gasps and murmurs. No one else was quite sure about following her. However, when Solay poked her head back out, looking quizzical at why she wasn't being followed, one by one, they all let themselves be taken in.

Inside the tree was miraculous. There were intricate carvings in the inner structures, and it looked almost lived-in. there was no clear ceiling, and jagged steps spiraled all the way up to the top before disappearing from view. There were little lights in "windows" that glowed in many different colors. Square-shaped boxes came out of the side of the tree, which the stairs led right to. They assumed this is where Pokémon could live.

Solay let them take it in. "I know," she said. "I only glimpsed it when I got sucked in the first time, but now…it's breathtaking, isn't it?" Her gaze was intrigued, but calculating and with a hint of frost. She didn't really trust this place.

"Whoa…" Mudkip went forward a few paces, head swiveling in all directions. "I wish I had eight more eyes."

"We all do, yup yup!" Bidoof said from somewhere behind her.

"I know it's late, but we should explore this place now," Solay said. "While it's fresh in our minds. Shadow, Treecko, Mudkip and I will head up the stairs. It looks like there's a passage ahead of us. Well, let's split in half. Bidoof, Corphish, and Sunflora, you guys come with us. We'll go up, the rest go down."

With the plan settled, the groups split. Solay led her teammates up, while Wigglytuff led his down. They hadn't been walking very long when the path branched in two. Bidoof, Corphish, and Sunflora voted to take the right path, which left Solay, Shadow, Treecko, and Mudkip with the left. Five minutes later, and also fairly high up in the tree, the path forked again.

"Hmm…" Mudkip tipped her head to the side. "What do we do now?"

"We could split up," Shadow offered. "Two of us go left, and the other two go right."

Treecko nodded. "That sounds good."

"I call Shadow!" Mudkip said automatically. "Treecko, you and Solay go left. Shadow and I will go right."

"But, wait, wouldn't it be better for you and I to go together, Mudkip?" Treecko asked, not really wanting to be stuck with Solay.

"I think it's a great idea," Solay replied cheerily, as if she hadn't heard. "Okay, see you two in a bit." She started off, without even looking back. Treecko glanced down the right path at the retreating backs of his friends, then hurried after her.

"Well, wait up!"

…

What awaits at the top of the Mighty Oak? Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	12. The Top of the Tree

Here's chapter twelve!

…CHAPTER TWELVE: The Top of the Tree

The first few minutes of climbing were quiet and awkward. Solay led the way, and Treecko followed close behind. He made the mistake of looking down once and nearly toppled over the edge. She'd held out a paw without a word, steadying him. Once he'd stepped back from the edge, she turned away from him again. Before she could start moving, Treecko spoke up.

"Why so quiet?" he asked. "Do you…not like me?"

She didn't turn around. "No, that's not it," she stated quietly. "It's just…now this place is giving me a rather…_queer_ feeling. I didn't trust this tree from the moment I stepped in, and now I'm getting the oddest sensation of danger. I suggest we proceed with caution."

"I wish Mudkip and Shadow were still here," Treecko muttered, following her again.

"I'm sure they're fine," she assured him, but Treecko wished she was as confident as she was trying to sound.

With another few minutes of climbing, a light shone out ahead. Rather than speed up, Solay slowed down, whispering to Treecko to keep quiet. She strained her ears, creeping forward, trying to hear if anyone was there.

She'd been right. "…sure they'll be here?" drawled a bored voice.

"Yes, Grumpig," snapped another voice impatiently. "They'll be here any minute, now shut your mouth and wait like you actually have some patience."

"Sorry," Grumpig muttered in reply. "Didn't mean to annoy you, Cacturn. By the way, where's Ninjask? He said he'd be here."

"Right here, fool," said a rather snide voice somewhere to Grumpig's left. "Now stop talking. They could be listening."

There was a pause, in which neither Solay nor Treecko breathed.

"In fact, I believe they are," Cacturn said smoothly. "You two, in the shadows there, come out. There's no use in hiding, we know you're there."

Solay muttered something that sounded like "Stay close to me" but Treecko wasn't sure. She went out first, placing her paws carefully, but never taking her eyes off her opponents. Cacturn was weak to her fire attacks, and so was Ninjask, if she could hit him. Grumpig would take a bit more, but they could take him down. Treecko stayed close behind her, nervous, but determined.

To their surprise, Cacturn nodded to them. "So you're the ones Gallade told us about. He spoke highly of your ability to bend under pressure, Treecko."

"Um, thanks, I think."

"Come on, Cacturn, stop talking," Grumpig whined. "Let's just get this over with. The boss knew we were gonna get creamed, so let's just get creamed and go back."

"Quiet, Grumpig," Ninjask hissed in his strangely nasally voice. He looked Solay over. "You're missing someone. The Riolu, Shadow, was it? Where's he gone?"

"Nowhere."

"You lie!" he spat. "He's somewhere in the tree, isn't he?"

"No," Solay replied evenly. "Only Treecko and I came here. There is no one else within the Mighty Oak." She spoke calmly and slowly, and if Treecko hadn't known better, he might have believed her. However, Cacturn did know better, and narrowed his eyes.

"I was courteous because the boss requested it," he said through ground teeth, "but not anymore. If you're going to lie, make sure your enemies don't already know the truth."

Solay stuck her muzzle out, frowning. "Fine. They're here, but I'm not telling you where."

"I guess that's good enough," Ninjask said heavily. "We just need two more questions answered from you, then you will be disposed."

"And if I refuse?" she asked stiffly.

Faster than either of them could react, Ninjask appeared behind Treecko and clamped onto him, dragging him back around to stand by Grumpig and Cacturn. Treecko flailed. "Hey, let me go!"

Ninjask cackled. "Sorry. You're our bargaining chip." He looked to Solay. "And what were you saying about not answering?"

She gnashed her teeth together in a snarl. "Fine," she spat. "Toss all the questions you want. I just want you to answer something for me after we're done, and release Treecko."

Cacturn considered this. "Well, I guess that sounds fair. Okay, after you answer our questions, we'll answer yours. If you comply, the boy stays alive."

Treecko felt guilty. Here he was, a useless hostage. Solay was being forced to do their bidding because he had been captured. Treecko was mentally kicking himself.

"Question one," Cacturn said. "What is your place of origin?" His eyes glinted. He wanted to know about the future.

Solay hesitated. She knew she couldn't answer that, but Treecko… An idea went off in her head. "My place of origin?" she repeated coolly. "The beach."

She'd infuriated him. She saw it in his eyes. There was anger and hatred in those eyes, but he knew that she'd answered the question fairly. He scowled for a moment, then calmed himself.

"Okay, then…let's try something else." He thought for a moment on how best to word his final question. "What would you say if I offered to return all of your memories?"

Solay stared at him, open-mouthed. She tried several times to speak, but all that came out were indistinct noises. Treecko looked between Cacturn and Solay, astonished. So he had known about Solay's history all along.

"Wha…what? What did you say?"

"Exactly what I said," Cacturn replied. "The boss was the one who thought of offering your memories back. We know a guy who can help if you're willing to comply."

Solay was tempted, extremely tempted. Treecko could see it in her face. She shut her eyes and thought hard. When she did open them, they were filled with fire.

"No."

Cacturn looked to Grumpig and Ninjask, then back to Solay. "No?" he repeated incredulously. "How can you say no? We just offered you all of your memories!"

"I don't trust any of you," she said. "Even if you were to give me my memories back, you might corrupt them, or worse, erase my memories of Shadow, and Treecko, and the others, so I would work for you. I'm not going to take the chance. I answered your questions, now let Treecko go and answer mine."

At a very reluctant signal for Cacturn, Ninjask let go of Treecko. He quickly scurried behind Solay, muttering, "Sorry."

"It's okay," she murmured. Raising her voice, she said, "Okay, here's my question. Who, exactly, is your boss and what is he like?"

Grumpig stamped his foot on the ground. "I _knew_ she was going to ask that! You should've listened to me, Cacturn!"

Cacturn was considering his options carefully. "Well…the boss is very straight with people. He's also rather considerate, which I find really odd. He has us all in ranks. Gallade and I are of the Admin rank, technically, and these two are Majors, below me. He has a few higher up that we call Elite Strike Force, and then there's the grunts like Alakazam." Cacturn smirked. "One more thing, the boss told us not to tell you who he was. He knew you would ask. He wants to meet you before we tell you."

"There you are, Solay!" called a voice.

Shadow and Mudkip had arrived. Treecko waved them over, grateful for the backup.

"It's about time!" he called. They quickly joined him, taking in the scene.

"So who are these guys?" Mudkip asked, looking quizzical. "They look mean."

"They're the bad guys," Treecko replied simply.

"Are you sure about our offer?" Cacturn asked, looking quite sly now.

"What offer?" Shadow looked between Solay, Cacturn, and Treecko. "What offer? What's he talking about?"

Treecko opened his mouth to answer, but Solay covered his mouth her with paw, never taking her eyes off Cacturn. "My answer is still no," she said evenly.

"That's too bad," he sighed. "Boys, let's take them out."

"Hey, slow down!" Mudkip cried, but it was too late. The battle was starting.

…

:D And that's that.


	13. Solay Snaps

And here's chapter thirteen. XD This is turning out to be my most popular story ever. Thanks so much to everyone who reads and reviews!

…CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Solay Snaps

"The answer is still no," Solay replied, staring Cacturne right in the face.

He sneered. "Fine." Raising his voice, he called, "Boys, let's take them out!"

"Wait, hold up!" Mudkip cried, but it was too late.

…:: BOSS BATTLE: Cacturne! ::…

Cacturne charged straight for Solay and they both went flying backwards roughly twenty feet. Shadow dealt with Grumpig, which left Treecko and Mudkip with Ninjask. He was speedy, and neither of them could keep an eye on him. He kept vanishing and appearing, vanishing and appearing, striking before they had the chance to retaliate.

"Can't hit me, can't hit me!" he taunted, striking Mudkip from behind.

She growled. "This is ridiculous! He's too fast!"

"So slow him down!" Shadow called, sparring with Grumpig. "Throw sand in his eyes or something!"

Treecko tried to do just that, but he was hit from behind with Ninjask's Fury Cutter. It sent Treecko sprawling onto his face. Mudkip shot at him with a Water Gun, but missed, and was hit with X-Scissor.

"This is getting us nowhere," she groaned. "Here's our plan. When he appears again, you grab him."

"Why do I have to grab him?"

"Just grab him!"

"Okay!" Treecko leaped at where he thought Ninjask would be. The bug-type turned, caught off guard, as Treecko tackled him. With a grunt, he was knocked out of the air. "Hurry it up, Mudkip!"

"Water Gun!" She sucked in her breath and shot out the jet of water. It hit Ninjask in the face, leaving him spluttering. Treecko took his chance and hit the bug from behind with a Razor Leaf attack. With a system down, they had no trouble defeating him. When he lay at their feet, they looked over to Shadow, who was just delivering a killer Focus Punch as a right hook to the side of Grumpig's face. Down he went too. That just left Solay and Cacturne…

…

Cacturne kept throwing Poison Jabs at her. She kept ducking and moving to the side. He chased her at walking speed all the way to the other side of the tree. When she bumped into the wall, his fist thunked right where her head used to be, embedding itself in the tree.

Solay sprang away and shot a Flamethrower his way. He barely managed to pull himself free in time to get away safely.

"Quick," he said, "but are you quick enough?"

"We'll see," she replied, running straight for him.

The next few moves happened too fast for either of them to really understand, but the next thing Cacturne knew, he had Solay pinned on her side. She was glaring up at him.

"Let me go," she said dangerously.

"Sorry, but no." He glanced up. The others were still distracting the accomplishes. Good. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "What would you say if I told you the truth about Grovyle?"

She said nothing right away. "I already know the truth," she said finally. "Nothing you say will change anything I think about him."

"Okay, then what about Shadow? Do you know as much about him as you think?"

She tried to reach up and bite him, angry. "I do! He's been my partner for close to four and a half years now!"

Cacturne had hit a nerve. He grinned. "Are you sure? He's been hiding things from you."

"He has not! Shadow's never hidden anything from me!"

There was a note of panic in her voice. The fiery queen of ice was slipping.

"Are you sure?" he whispered. "You know, Shadow despises you. He hates you for taking the spotlight all the time. He wants you gone so he can take the glory."

"He doesn't…he doesn't want that…" Solay was staring off into space, wearing a horrified expression. "He…"

"He wants you dead," Cacturne spat. "Why else would he attack you? You do remember earlier, don't you? He was planning to take you all out at once, but his plan failed. He hates your guts, Solay."

"He doesn't…" The fire returned. "HE DOESN'T!" she roared, exploding upwards with everything she had. Cacturne was slammed into the tree with more force than he had been expected, and slid down, winded. Solay got to her feet, fire swirling dangerously around her body. The expression on her face was of pure hatred and murder. She didn't just dislike him now. She wanted Cacturne dead.

"He doesn't," she repeated, more flames licking up to swirl around her tails. "That isn't how Shadow is. You tried to mess with my head. I won't fall for it."

"Ohh, but you did," Cacturne whispered, mostly to himself. "You fell for it, just as the boss had planned… Good, Solay. Let you anger consume you. Let your fear and rage control you, cloud your mind. Give into the hate. Join the dark side! No, wait, that sounds corny…"

She wasn't listening, or she hadn't heard. The fire was just licking at her eyes, and then it consumed her whole form. She sucked in her breath and blew out a truly massive Flamethrower. Cacturne didn't move. He couldn't. He didn't really care any more. He'd done his job.

But, surprisingly, it didn't hurt all that much. Or, he was just so beyond reason, that he didn't think it hurt. Either way, it wasn't bad. But she breathed pillar after pillar after pillar, and it all started to add up. Just when he thought he couldn't take it, a voice screamed, "SOLAY, STOP!"

The fire-cloaked Vulpix swung her head around, snarling at whoever dared to interrupt her fight. Shadow stood slightly forward, looking horrified. He had one paw outstretched, as if trying to reach her. Treecko and Mudkip stood close behind him, looking properly frightened.

"Solay, stop," Shadow repeated in a softer voice. "It's over."

Her gaze shifted back to Cacturne. As the realization dawned on her, the fire receded slowly, and her eyes lost the madness. She stood there, shaking slightly, disturbed. What had she just done…? It was cruel, even if they were the enemy. She had tortured the poor guy…

Shadow came to her side just as she sat down, staring at the floor without really seeing it.

"I'm a monster," she whispered, burying her face in his arms. "I'm a monster…"

"You're not," he assured her. "You just got mad."

"Do you snap like that when you get mad?" she mumbled.

He hesitated. "Well, no, but you had our interests at heart."

"All I wanted was to kill," she said dully. "All I wanted was to tear Cacturne limb from limb until he begged for mercy three times over. He said things about you, Shadow… He said horrible things."

"And whatever they were, they weren't true," he said forcefully. "Look at me, Solay."

She unwillingly raised her head, staring up into his face. His eyes were sincere and kind. She couldn't believe she'd actually fallen for Cacturne's mind tricks. This was _Shadow_ they were talking about. He'd never kept a secret in his life. He probably couldn't if he tried.

"Whatever he said wasn't true," Shadow said.

Solay nodded. "I know…I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Now, I think we all need to just calm down here and think." He looked over to Cacturne, who was getting to his feet. "Are you leaving?"

"Yep," he replied, staggering over to rouse Ninjask. Grumpig was getting up. "We're leaving. You're free to leave. But, know this…" He glared over their way. "We _will_ be back."

"Looking forward to it," Mudkip said dryly.

Solay took a few deep, calming breaths. "Okay, so, I think we should all just head back to camp and go to bed. Everyone gets to sleep in."

"That sounds like a great idea," Treecko replied through a yawn. "Couldn't agree more."

…

Eh. Not much plot here, really. :/ But next chapter will be. :3 Promise.


	14. Deeper Than It Seems

All righty, here we go. Chapter fourteen! I'm actually surprised I've kept this going for so long. O.o Normally, it would've died out of my mind, about, probably, thirteen chapters ago. XD

…CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Deeper Than It Seems

Solay led them back down the tree. They met up with everyone else at the bottom, outside of the tree. Sunflora and the others immediately rushed up, worried, wondering what had taken them so long. Carefully, Solay explained what had happened, but Treecko noticed she kept Cacturne's offer to herself. She also left out the part where she snapped, and just said that she'd beaten him.

Shadow and Mudkip also kept quiet on it, exchanging glances. Treecko knew they were going to talk to her in the morning. But, in the meantime, it was time to head back and sleep the day off. Too many things happened within a short time span. Treecko just wanted to lie down and sleep for a year or two. As Solay saw he was tiring, she knelt.

"Get on."

He stared at her, then shook his head. "No, it's okay."

She gave him a look. "Get on. You'll fall asleep anyway."

He reluctantly clambered onto her back, and she started walking again. He felt like an idiot for not walking by himself like everyone else, and just mostly stared at Solay's ear. Before long, though, he was out like a light.

…

The sunlight poked at his eyes and woke him up. Treecko groaned and rolled over, sitting up, blinking blearily. Mudkip lay not far from, curled up, fast asleep. Solay and Shadow were nowhere to be seen, so he assumed they were outside. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Treecko went out, looking around.

Not many others were up yet. Bidoof was chatting with Sunflora, and Chatot was standing by himself. Solay and Shadow were off to the side, deep in conversation. Treecko went over to them.

"…leads me to believe that their leader must be either a ghost-, psychic-, or a dark-type," she was saying. "After all, the, let's say, minions we've encountered have all been ghost-, psychic-, and dark-types."

Shadow nodded. "Yeah, that could be, but you can't discount the fact that he could be any other type and he's just toying with us."

She shrugged. "Yeah, but by what his underlings said, he doesn't sound like the kind who would lie, even to his enemies." She blinked as Treecko approached. "Good morning."

"Morning," he replied. "What are we talking about?"

"We're discussing the nature of the bad guy's head honcho," Shadow replied. "We're fairly sure what we're dealing with, but there's always the possibility."

He nodded. "True. Hey, that reminds me…I had a weird dream last night."

"What was it about?" Solay asked, sounding curious.

Treecko made a face. "Um…I don't really remember. I just know it was rather…odd. Sorry."

"It's fine," Shadow assured him. "If you remember anything, let us know."

The rest of the conversation was interrupted by a sleepy Mudkip, who stumbled over to join them, but kept yawning and didn't really seem to be listening. Shortly after, breakfast was served, and then they all gathered to discuss what to do next.

"I say we go back to the tree," Sunflora suggested. "Now that we're all rested up, we can take a better look around."

"I second that," Solay added. "I think we should go back and give it another careful twice-over. We might have missed something in the dark last night."

The plan was agreed to, and they all set off deep into the forest again. They split into their groups and walked along, each a little distance away from each other, not really traveling as a whole group. Solay and Shadow were ahead of Mudkip and Treecko, but they weren't all that far behind.

When they reached the tree, Treecko helped Mudkip over, and Solay and Shadow simply jumped. Solay nearly didn't make it, and Shadow had to grab her hand quickly and haul her up. Wigglytuff and the others managed to go around, with Chatot just fluttering overhead smugly.

"Thanks, Shadow," Solay muttered, but then the dizziness struck. She swayed on her feet and Shadow had to steady her. She shut her eyes and watched the vision in her head for a few seconds. When she opened them, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"It's all right, it was an event from the past," she said. "It was Waterfall Cave. Come on, let's go." She jumped down, startling Bidoof. She apologized quickly, and led everyone inside. Sunflora, Bidoof, and Corphish tagged along, then split off, going their own way as Treecko, Solay, and Shadow kept climbing. When the reached the other fork, they stopped.

"Let's split up again," Shadow suggested. "Treecko and I can go left, and you and Mudkip can go right."

"Sounds fine by me," Solay said, so they bid farewell and set off.

The paths were basically the same, but about two thirds of the way up, it widened and had a small pool of water. Mudkip stopped to get a drink.

"Careful, it might be deeper than it seems," Solay said.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, uh huh. It's just a puddle of water." Mudkip dipped her head, but then her footing slipped and she toppled headfirst into the water.

Solay knew this. This was her vision from before, the one where Mudkip… Without hesitation, Solay leaped into the water. She churned at the water with her paws, trying to make herself swim down while her instincts and her body were screaming at her to go up. She was a Vulpix, after all, and Vulpix's usually don't like water. It took her a good three seconds to be able to see.

Mudkip had fallen to the bottom of the pool and got her tail lodged under a rock. She was trying in vain to pull herself free, but had no luck. Solay knew, that even if Mudkip was a water-type, she couldn't hold her breath forever. Longer than she could, yes, but not forever. She scrambled down and pushed at the rock. It barely moved, so she moved backwards a few paces and rammed into it.

The impact jarred her teeth and knocked the rest of the air right out of her lungs, but Mudkip came free. She quickly swam under Solay and pushed her to the surface. As the both broke the water's edge, Solay started flailing again, trying to swim. Mudkip pushed her to the bank, where they both hauled themselves out and lay there, gasping. Well, Solay was acting more like a Magikarp out of water than Mudkip was, but the point was taken.

"Whoa…" Mudkip breathed. "Was that what you saw in your vision? The Dimensional Scream?"

Solay nodded. "Yeah…that was it… It's a good thing we changed it."

"Pfft, yeah!" Mudkip nodded energetically. "You were super ultra mega cool down there, being a fire-type and all, ya know."

"Thanks." After catching her breath, they both started climbing, laughing about it. Treecko and Shadow were already there, wandering around, checking every inch of the place. When Shadow saw they were both sopping wet, he came dashing over.

"Oh gosh, what happened to you?"

They exchanged a glance. "Well…" Solay stated. "It goes like this…" So she explained.

…

Ugh. - This turned out rather slow too. I'm going to try really hard to get a good chapter in here soon. I really want to start the big reveal of who the boss is. xD


	15. The Spy Revealed

Chapter fifteen. Oh yeah. I loved writing this.

…CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The Spy Revealed

Even after giving the treetop a twice-over, Solay and the others could find no evidence of anything strange. This put Solay into a mood, and she sat by herself, trying to think of something or other. Shadow talked with Mudkip a little, getting details on the event from earlier. Treecko was still trying to remember the strange dream he'd had. It kept nagging at him until he finally gave up and sat down, leaning against the trunk.

At first, nothing happened. Then, a few seconds later, Treecko turned around, looking at the trunk. He had the weirdest sensation…it was like the one from the Weeping Elder Birch. Treecko frowned. Did this tree want to chat too? No, that was stupid. He shook his head, but the feeling kept gnawing at him until he finally gave in and shut his eyes.

It was all white, exactly as before. Solay, Shadow, and Mudkip were nowhere in sight. He was alone at the apex of the Mighty Oak.

"Hello?" he called softly. "Are you here? I know you tried to tell me something last night. Come on, just tell me. I'll try to not think I'm crazy."

_Finally, you hear, _growled a deep male voice. Treecko jumped. _It's about time. I've been trying to get though since you spoke with the old man._

"You mean the Elder Birch?" Treecko asked, looking around.

_Yeah, him,_ dismissed the voice. _Listen up, Treecko, because I'm only going to say this once. You need to defeat them before the eclipse comes. You need to find out who's spying on you. Think! The answer is right in front of you!_

"What are you talking about? What eclipse?" Treecko spun in circles, trying in vain to see _something_. "What's right in front of me?"

_Think!_

"Treecko!"

His eyes snapped open. Solay, Shadow, and Mudkip were all in front of him, staring. Mudkip sighed. "Oh, good, you're okay. Why'd you fall asleep like that?"

Treecko muttered something indistinct, which made Mudkip blink. "What?" she asked.

"I was talking to a tree!" he finally burst out, not meeting their gaze.

There was silence. Shadow was looking bamboozled, Mudkip like she thought he was insane, but Solay looked thoughtful.

"Tell me more about this tree," she said carefully. "What did he tell you?"

"Something about beating the bad guys before an eclipse…and about an answer right in front of my face." Treecko shrugged. "It was really vague. It was probably just a dream anyway."

Solay rubbed the ground with a paw, thinking. "Well…if it's twice that it's happened now, I don't think it's a dream. Treecko, _you_ are in tune with the conscious of nature." She paused. "How to say it…you're very aware of your surroundings. It's a trait few people have." Solay hesitated. "I know…someone else who had it."

Shadow started. "Oh, no way—!"

Solay nodded. "You know who I'm talking about."

"Is it…Grovyle?" Mudkip asked quietly.

Solay bit her tongue briefly, then nodded. "Yes. My partner Grovyle was also attune to nature. Not as much as you, Treecko, but he did have the same gift. I have a theory, but for the interest of keeping time linear and flowing correctly, I can't tell you. At least, not now."

Treecko's brain overloaded. He had a gift? His first thought was 'Uh, wait, what?' but then it turned to 'Cool.' He shook his head to semi-clear it. Yes, it was neat he could talk to trees, but it was also rather freaky.

"Well, what about the eclipse, then?" he pressed. "Do you have an answer to that?"

"I do," offered a voice.

They all whipped around. There, in the middle of the treetop clearing, were Umbreon and Gallade. Gallade nodded to them. "Hello, again," he said.

Treecko leaped to his feet, staring at Umbreon. "Hey, you're that psycho form my dream!" he exclaimed.

Umbreon frowned. "Oh, come, that wasn't nice. Besides, that wasn't your dream. That was Gallade's psychic powers."

Treecko caught his breath. It hadn't been a dream? It was just Gallade's trick? Was it…a setup? He felt Shadow and Solay taking fighting stances beside him.

"Oh, we're not here to fight," Umbreon dismissed. "We just came to take our operative back. The job is done, and _he_ needs you back," Umbreon added, scanning them all with her crazy red eyes. Treecko glanced at his friends. It was one of them? Who was it? He knew it wasn't him… And it couldn't be Mudkip. She was his partner. Solay did show a tendency to hide things, but he trusted her. Then Shadow…he was so insecure, but so brave. It couldn't be him either! Treecko was going to go mad if he kept thinking about this.

"Step forward," Gallade said. "Your job is done."

Treecko felt his heart going a billion miles an hour. Who would step forward? Who would betray everyone he loved so dearly? From beside him…someone started giggling, then full-out laughing. He knew that laugh. He'd heard it almost every day of his life. With the world spinning, he turned slowly…to see Mudkip with her head thrown back, cackling.

When she finally lowered her head, the smirk was too gloating. Her eyes were too narrowed. Her walk was too…_menacing_. Treecko could only watch as she walked away from him and joined Gallade and Umbreon. She turned around, looking at them with half-lidded eyes and a sneer worthy of Umbreon.

Shadow couldn't move, and neither could Treecko, so Solay had to do the talking. She took a half step forward, looking dismayed and confused. "Mudkip, what are you doing?" she asked. "Come on back. You don't belong over here."

Mudkip giggled again. "Solay, you're a fool," she said. "I never was on your side. Everything I said, everything I did, it was all an act. Falling into the pool? An act. I had to know what you would do, if you would let me drown." A wistful note entered her voice. "If you'd had left me to drown, you could've been over here with me."

"That's impossible!" Treecko shouted, getting his voice back. He felt tears in his eyes, but he didn't care. "Mudkip, you're my partner! We worked together!"

She turned to him. His breath drew in sharply to see how cold her eyes were. Another sneer flitted across her face.

"Treecko, Treecko, Treecko… Don't you see? I've been using you. I never was your 'partner'. The only way to get close to you was to form a team with you, so that's what I did."

Treecko couldn't breathe. This was impossible. There was no way that Mudkip could be evil. He remembered her laughing, and her having so much fun with him… He remembered when she came to his rescue when fighting the Slugma, even though she was just as tired as he was. It couldn't be…none of that could be a lie! It was all true!

"I used you," Mudkip repeated. "I never cared about you. We were never friends. I needed to see your power in action for the plan. I was raised and trained as a spy. This is what I do for a living. This is what I live _for_."

"Stop it," Solay commanded, looking livid. "Stop talking. If you say another word, I'll kill you right here and now."

"Solay, no," Treecko sobbed. "It's just Mudkip! You can't kill her! S-she's p-p-possessed or something!" He grabbed her paw. "Don't do it…you can't, she's my best friend…"

Mudkip sneered. "Soon, we'll control the entire world and you won't have any friends to turn to." She looked to Gallade. "Let's go."

He nodded. "Right."

"No, wait!" Shadow started forward, but in a puff of gray-white smoke, all three were gone.

Treecko was in shock. Mudkip…had been the spy all along? It was too much to take in. He couldn't believe what she'd said. _I was raised and trained a spy… I used you… This is what I do for a living… I never was on your side… I've been using you… This is what I live _for_…_ He just sat there, numb, as her words played over and over in his head. She had used him… She never had been his friend… She was acting… No. There were times…when she hadn't been acting. Treecko had to believe that there were times when she had actually enjoyed being around him. He believed that…and someday, Mudkip would too.

But the Mighty Oak had been right.

The answer had been right in his face.

All along.

…

End! :3 How's that for a plot twist?


	16. Denial Speaks Loudest

And here we go with chapter sixteen.~ :3 Thanks for reading, as always!

…CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Denial Speaks Loudest

Mudkip was the traitor. She was the spy. It was the only thing that Treecko could think about. _Mudkip was the spy._ It was so ridiculous, so stupid…there was no possible way that she could _ever_ have betrayed him. There was…no way…

He was dimly aware of Solay and Shadow saying things to him, but Treecko ignored them. Whatever it was, it wasn't as important as this. He'd been betrayed by his best friend in the world. It was an almost indescribable feeling. He was so hollow inside, yet filled with so much fear and anger and sadness… Treecko had no idea what he was feeling exactly. It was all a mix of indistinct emotions represented by color. Blue, red, yellow, green, orange, black… It all created a muddy brown that would probably taste bitter and sour if it had a taste. Treecko could go on and on about how colors would taste, but something else distracted him.

Solay had slapped him.

Treecko lurched to the side, raising a hand to the side of his face. He swung his head around to fix Solay in an angry stare, but she looked livid, and his annoyance died instantly.

"Finally you snap out of it," she growled. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes."

"Sorry, I was too absorbed with the fact that my best friend ever just _betrayed me_!" he shouted back.

"Get a grip!" She slapped him again, this time with more force than necessary. "That's what I've been trying to address. Get a hold of yourself and hear me out."

Treecko muttered something under his breath, swallowed past the lump in his throat, and sat down to listen.

"Thank you," Solay said with a bit of flint still in her voice. "Now, look, Treecko, I know how you must feel right now. Mudkip's…true colors shocked us all. I never expected her to be the villain here, and I'm sure you didn't either. She was the perfect actor…but that's all it was. An act. We need to move on, and possibly take her down, along with the others."

Treecko was silent as she spoke, rage building again. Solay knew _nothing_. She knew _nothing_ of what he felt right now. She was just another know-it-all who had to be right one hundred percent of the time. He was about ready to slap her back. When she stopped to take a breath, he exploded.

"You have no idea how I feel!" he yelled, standing up. He'd caught her off guard. He saw it in her expression. "You have _no_ _**idea **_at _all_! Mudkip isn't like that! She wasn't acting! It's all true! It has to be!" he strode away and sat, drawing his knees up to his chin. "It has to be," he repeated in a whisper, putting his face down.

…

_Treecko walked through the forest, happily enjoying his own company. He'd never really worked with others before, thinking that they'd always get in the way. However…if he wanted to form an Exploration Team, a partner would be a good thing to have. So here he was, wandering around, trying to find someone he could really connect with. So far, there'd been no one._

_The bushes to his left rustled. Treecko stopped, turning to look. When nothing came out, he crept over and peered through._

_A young Pokémon, probably about the same age as him, was training. She looked like she was concentrating hard, glaring at a rock bigger than herself._

"_I will defeat you, foul bolder!" she cried, rushing at it. She launched a Water Gun straight at it, but all she did was get it wet. She pouted and kicked the rock, which did nothing to help. "Oh, I'll never get it… My Water Gun just doesn't have to force to break it. Then again, I could laugh my enemies to death."_

"_That was pretty good," Treecko called, stepping into the open._

_She looked around, beaming. "Hey, thanks!" Then her face fell. "But I didn't break it."_

"_You looked like you were pretty close to me, though," he offered. "Maybe you just need to work a little more."_

_She nodded slowly, looking determined. "Yeah, I think you're right! I'll get it someday!" she declared. "This, I vow!"_

"_You sound like a little kid," Treecko giggled._

"_And what's wrong with that?" she defended. "Everybody's a kid at heart. Some of us just embrace the madness!"_

_He shrugged, but was grinning. This girl…he liked her. She was cool._

…

_A few days later, Treecko was walking again. He was on his way to meet Mudkip, his newfound friend, and hopefully his soon-to-be teammate. He decided he was going to ask her to join a team with him today. They'd been training together for a few days now, and they were great friends. She was in the same place as always, trying to split the rock. She'd yet to crack it fully, but Treecko had to admit that she was getting dangerously close._

_She looked up as he entered, grinning. "Hey, Treecko! Sup?"_

"_The sky, the clouds, other stuff." He shrugged, grinning back. "What's up with you?"_

"_Nearly split the rock," she replied smoothly. "I've almost got it down."_

_He nodded. "Good!" Treecko hesitated. Now was a good time to ask. "Hey, Mudkip, I've been meaning to ask…would you…be willing to form an exploration team with me?"_

_She blinked, then smiled. "I thought you'd never ask. Of course! I was going to ask you today, anyway."_

_They stared at each other, then rolled onto their backs, filled with mirth. They watched the clouds for a little while, simply enjoying the company of the other._

"_We're gonna make a great team," Treecko sighed._

"_Mmhmm! If nothing else, I'll kick all the bandit's tails with my awesome fighting skills."_

_Treecko tried to stop giggling like a little schoolkid. "Oh? Fighting skills? You've been attacking rocks!"_

_She sprang to her feet, looking at him upside down. "But it's true! I know kah-rah-TAY!" She made various fighting sounds and hopped around the clearing on her back feet, throwing mock punches. Treecko couldn't reply. He was convulsing with laughter._

…

Treecko heard Shadow approaching, but still didn't lift his head. There were too many painful memories of Mudkip. He just couldn't believe that Solay was saying it was all a lie…just like that! Like she didn't even care. It was _not_ a lie!

_Mudkip said it, too,_ nagged that little voice in the back of his head. _You heard her. You all heard her._

"Shut up, you stupid voice," Treecko whispered. "I don't want to hear it."

"Hey, Treecko, talk to me," Shadow said, sitting down next to the smaller boy. Treecko looked away. "It's okay, you can talk to me."

He hesitated. "Shadow…Solay just doesn't understand."

"She does," he replied. "I know her explanation was a bit…frank, but she does know how you feel. While we were gathering Time Gears with Grovyle, we fell into a trap. Solay was torn between the choice of me or Grovyle, as she could only save one of us. The whole building was coming down. To save me, Grovyle acted just as Mudkip did. Solay didn't want to leave him still, even though her heart was shattered into a million tiny pieces. I ended up dragging her out. We didn't see Grovyle for two days after that. Solay walked around like a zombie." Shadow paused, casting a glance Treecko's way. "She was broken. Then, he came back." The Riolu smiled. "Listen, Solay wasn't finished when you blew up at her. She was going to say 'We'll get Mudkip back, even if it costs me my life. I won't stand for her leaving you like that, Treecko. I just won't.'"

Treecko put his face down again, trying not to start sobbing in front of Shadow. "Thank you, Shadow…and…tell Solay I said thanks too."

"Don't worry…we'll figure something out, Treecko."

"I know. I know."

…~

:3 I apologize for my lack of updating. My father decided it would be fun to ground me for no apparent reason…


	17. Calling All Bad Guys!

Gahh! I can't believe I left you guys like that! *Struggles with self* Bad Foxxy! Bad, bad, bad! Okay, let's get this going again~!

…CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Calling All Bad Guys!

With Solay in the lead, the band of three descended the tree slowly, not trusting themselves to speak. Treecko, thanks to Shadow, had managed to swallow his emotions enough to walk and see clearly. He trailed Solay with the Riolu behind him, and Treecko was thinking of things other than Mudkip. He needed something to keep his mind from the water-type-gone-traitor.

So, instead, he thought of Team Sky. Solay had her own self-control problems, yet she was always there to lend a hand. Treecko was amazed at how much she did for him, hiding her own concerns while she dealt with others. Truly, she was a living legend.

Shadow. His kindness was unrivaled. Shadow thought nothing of himself and put everyone above him. If the two of them were facing destruction which only one could live through, Treecko had no idea who would come out with their live. He figured they would bicker and argue over who would live until either one of them gave in, they stood and faced death together, or they annoyed the enemy so much he just struck them down. With a pang, Treecko found his thoughts drifting to Mudkip. If only one of them could live, Treecko knew he'd tell Mudkip to go, and she probably would.

He shook his head, ridding himself of such thoughts. They'd almost reached the bottom of the tree, and Treecko tried to fix himself up so he didn't appear that, well, he was an emotional wreck. Getting a quick headcount, Treecko noticed that Bidoof's group had yet to return.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Corphish said, scuttling up. "There you are! We were getting worried. Hey, hey, isn't Bidoof with you?"

Shadow shook his head. "We didn't meet up with them on the way down."

Chatot flew up, giving them a twice-over with his shrewd eyes. "And you're missing someone. Where's Mudkip gone off to?"

Treecko bit his tongue and looked down. Solay ducked her head to look into his eyes.

"Do you want to tell them or shall I?"

Treecko knew he was probably being selfish, but he couldn't bear to recount Mudkip's treachery. "You do it," he mumbled in reply. "I can't…"

"It's okay, I understand." She straightened, gaze sweeping the crew. "Well…I'm only saying this once." Taking a deep breath, she summarized the events that took place at the pinnacle as best she could, and when the tale finished, all she got was silence. Solay waited a few moments, then added meekly, "And that's what happened."

Before anyone could comment, there was noise form behind. Screams and shouts… Everyone turned around to see Bidoof and his two accomplishes running down the path at high speeds being chased by…

"BOULDER!" Sunflora screeched. "Quick, run everybody!"

"Scatter!" Solay commanded, darting off. No one had to be told twice. Various Guildmembers scrambled for cover. Treecko, in his state, was frozen to the ground, merely gaping at the giant round rock chasing his friends. They'd reached the bottom and split up.

And he has the dumbest of luck to be standing right in its way.

"Treecko, move!" Chatot squawked from out of sight. "You'll get squished!"

Treecko had a smart remark on the tip of his tongue, but couldn't move his jaw to utter it. The boulder was less than ten feet away when a speedy shape dashed over and tackled Treecko out of the way.

"I've got you," Solay growled. "Shadow!"

"I've got it!" he replied. Not two seconds later and the boulder shattered into a hundred pieces. Shadow had socked it hard with a Focus Punch. The pieces, miraculously, didn't hit anyone. Once the dust had settles somewhat, Solay rolled off of Treecko, getting to her feet and shaking herself like a Growlithe.

"Everybody okay?" she called. When answered with nods and a few mutters, she turned back to Treecko. "You okay?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. _That's what, the fifth time she's saved my life? Man, without Solay and Shadow around, I'd be dead and buried by now._

_Ahh, but if Solay and Shadow had never come around, maybe this whole thing wouldn't have happened, _the voice at the back of his head nagged. It took the voice of Mudkip now, rather than himself.

_Shut it, I'm not going to listen to you!_ Treecko shook his head vehemently and then looked up at Solay. "Thanks for saving me…I owe you."

"Relax, it's in my job description." She took a long breath in through her nose, then let it out her mouth. "Phew. I think we need to go back to Treasure Town. This trip has been way more exhausting than our other ones." She licked a paw, drawing it over her ears. "Wigglytuff, you and your crew seemed to be a magnet for trouble."

"We're magnets for other things, too!" Wigglytuff replied cheerily, leading them out.

"Yeah, let's go hang a neon sign outside that reads 'Look at us, we're begging to be attacked!'" She gave the strangest grin Treecko had ever seen, and he cracked up, nearly falling over.

"'Calling all bad guys,'" Shadow simplified. The others were chuckling along.

Solay nodded. "Mm. So, I propose we head out a daybreak. We're all running on empty, and it's better not to travel in the dark."

_Who knows who we might meet,_ they all finished in their heads. With a few nods, the plan was agreed to.

Treecko, upon reaching camp, didn't want to go into his tent. There would be another, empty bed there, and he didn't think he could cope with that. He hesitated, then scurried over to Shadow, tapping the taller Pokémon on the arm.

Shadow looked down. "What's up?" he asked. "Need something?"

Treecko hesitated again, then nodded. "Well, I was just curious… Can I sleep with you two tonight? I don't want to be alone."

He didn't have to explain why. Shadow's face softened and he nodded. "Sure. I understand."

Treecko looked at the ground. "Sorry for being such a bother…"

"It's no bother," Solay purred, sitting next to him. "No one likes being alone, Treecko, and you're no exception. I'd be asking myself the same thing if I was in your shoes." She nodded him towards the entrance. "Go on in. I'll be there in a minute."

Treecko entered with Shadow just behind him. It was just like his, except there were a few singed strands in the one on the right. He assumed this was Solay's and smiled. Shadow set to work fixing another between them, using some from both his own and Solay's. Treecko helped out, feeling it was the least he could do.

He felt like a coward for not being able to tough it out for one night on his own. Treecko hated to admit it, but he'd never actually been as alone as he was now. Before Mudkip, he had the company of himself. With Mudkip, he'd had her around to cheer him up. Now, without her, Treecko felt empty. There was nothing left of him. He shut his eyes briefly. Solay and Shadow and everyone else were here for him.

He. Was. Not. Alone.

Still, Treecko couldn't help feeling…feeling what? Nothing? Sadness? He didn't even know. Deciding it was better not to dwell on such subjects, he curled up, closing his eyes, blind to the world. As he drifted off, he heard Solay outside.

"Calling all bad guys, I'm coming to kick your tails."

…

Again, I apologize for not updating! Things are really weird at my end. I just got my computer back a few days ago, and I'm working on several things… Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon…

Cross your fingers!


	18. Lapras and the Message

_Hello, everyone! It's Solay speaking. Foxxy's been extremely busy with problems in real life and she's very sorry she couldn't be here to explain. She asked me to tell you that she's working on getting everything straightened out so she can update more often… That was a large gap, but anyway! She doesn't own anything other than the plot and characters she made up. And away we go~_

…CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Lapras and the Message

When Treecko woke up early the next morning, he was embarrassed to find himself curled up right next to Solay. She didn't wake as he slipped away, hurrying into the clearing with his face a furious red. He halted and blinked, nearly running into Wigglytuff.

"Oh, s-sorry, Guildmaster," he stammered.

"Oh, it's okay, Treecko," Wigglytuff replied cheerily, flashing a his trademark grin. "You were just distracted. Friendly friends~!" Wigglytuff danced off humming, leaving Treecko to, once again, doubt the Guildmaster's sanity. Instead he turned, looking over to a figure centering itself.

It was Shadow. The Riolu sat just at the borderline between the camp and the forest, legs crossed, eyes closed. The raindrop-like appendages were stuck straight out. Treecko was unsure if he should go over or not, but at that moment, Bidoof came up behind him.  
>"Yup yup, Shadow's still got that habit," he said.<p>

Treecko jumped half a mile in the air, spinning and staring. "Oh, Bidoof! You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry," the elder apologized. "Just wanted to see how you were holding up. With, you know, Mudkip…and all that."

Treecko bit his tongue. There was the taboo subject again. He really didn't want to talk about it. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said instead, lying through his teeth.

Bidoof didn't look convinced. "I know you're not fine," he said, tone softening. "Mudkip was my friend too, yup yup. I know it's a real shocker at what she did. But we'll get her back. Yessiree, we will."

Treecko nodded. "Yeah."

"Still not a morning person," someone yawned to their right.

Both Bidoof and Treecko looked over. Solay had emerged, stretching like a Glameow. She yawned widely again, dark gaze obscured. She fluffed her tails and nodded in greeting.

"Morning," Treecko called.

"Morning," she replied sleepily. "Don't mind me, carry on." She shook her head back and forth furiously, as if this would help, but Treecko doubted it did. The Vulpix blinked like and owl, then a thought appeared to have occurred to her. Her jaw dropped and an 'I-should-have-thought-of-this-earlier' expression crossed her face. "Oh, wow, I am such a moron," she muttered, dashing off to Shadow. She had a few quick words with him, then strode quickly off towards Wigglytuff with a serious look and Shadow in tow.

"What's with her?" Treecko asked.

Bidoof gave a shrug. "Beats me," he replied. "But I _have_ seen that look on her face. Solay has an idea."

Treecko couldn't hear what she said, but apparently, Wigglytuff agreed. She turned and looked him in the eye, raised her tails in farewell, and bounded away.

"Did she just…leave?" Treecko asked bluntly. "She left the expedition? Just like that?"

"Seems so," Bidoof chuckled. "She does have the right. Solay's not officially part of the Guild. She just tagged along because she wanted to. Technically, she can leave whenever she wants. 'Sides, we're heading back today too, remember?"

Treecko did. After the whole fiasco at the top of the tree, Wigglytuff had deemed the expedition a failure and they were supposed to go back. No treasure was found, and no real discovery had been made. This friendly trip had turned into something much more sinister. They'd learned that the Guild had been infiltrated since Team Treekip had joined, and who knew how much information Mu…the spy had leaked. Not to mention they wanted something that no one had been able to figure out yet. Treecko guessed it was one of those cliché destroy slash rule the world plots. All the bad guys had destroy slash rule the world plots.

But…could it be something more? A world-destruction plot really didn't need to have a trained spy keep an eye on a kid like him, did it? Treecko didn't pose a threat to anybody…did he? Treecko had to stop and think. What was it Solay had said about him? He was in tune with nature? Oh, yeah, he could talk to trees. That made him a really scary guy. Treecko snorted. It was such a dumb power…how could anyone feel threatened by him?

Then again…he beat Shadow with it. If he hadn't talked with the Weeping Elder Birch, he may never have been able to learn Solar Beam in time. Then what? Perhaps they all might've gotten killed. Treecko looked down at the ground. Maybe…he'd just gotten lucky?

No. It wasn't luck. _That_ he was sure of. But then…what was he supposed to do? Beat the bad guys? That seemed too obvious. There was something…something _more_. He heaved a sigh. Thinking about it hurt his head. He resigned to ask Solay about what she had done three and a half years prior to save the world. From the snatches of conversation he'd caught for a while, it sounded rather complicated. Pokémon from the future, betrayal, saving the world, vanishing from existence… That was defiantly worth looking in to. Perhaps she had valuable experience he could borrow.

_It's settled,_ he vowed silently. _When we get back to Treasure Town, I'll ask her right away!_

The return trip wasn't as fun as the trip _to_ the forest. Instead of a race, it was slow-going. At least it gave Treecko more time to think about how he would approach Solay. It wouldn't be very polite to waltz up and bring back bad memories.

Treecko stopped.

Memories… That's what Solay _didn't _have. She still couldn't remember anything from her time in the future…from her real life. He wasn't exactly sure how old she was…but it was a long time living in the dark. At least three, maybe four years now…and she had never known who she really was. That had to be a horrible feeling that Treecko could only imagine.

Once back in Treasure Town, he explained everything to Wigglytuff and headed for Sharpedo Bluff. This is where she and Shadow lived, right? But where…? Before he could finish that thought, he caught sight of the steps going down. They didn't live _on_ Sharpedo Bluff…they lived _in_ it. Treecko couldn't help but grin. He strolled over and stuck his head down. "Hello?"

"Oh, hey, there," Shadow replied, appearing. "Nice to see you, Treecko. Can I help you?"

"Is Solay here? I have a few questions for her."

Shadow shook his head. "She's down on the beach. She goes there when she needs to think. Look there."

"Okay, thanks anyway."

"Anytime."

Treecko withdrew his head and set off to the beach at a swift walk. He replied when the townspeople said hello, but other than that, kept his mouth shut. In no time at all, he reached his destination. It didn't take a lot of looking to spot Solay.

She was sitting by a rock, talking to another Pokémon Treecko had never seen before. The newcomer resembled something like a cross between a turtle and the Lock Ness Monster with blue skin and a gray shell. Something about her was…unreal. Treecko wasn't sure if he should be afraid or not, so he kept his distance, getting just close enough to hear their conversation.

"I know it's been a long time, Lapras," Solay was saying, "but I was wondering if you could help me out again."

_Lapras, huh? That's a nice name._ Still, Treecko was curious. What was Solay up to?

"Of course, Solay," Lapras replied. "I'm here to help."

"I need you to take a message to Master Dialga for me. Tell him I urgently need to speak with him face-to-face. It's very important."

Treecko choked on the breath he was just taking. _D-Dialga? Did she just say Dialga, as in the lord of all time? Solay…has met Dialga?_

"Is this about your memories?" Lapras asked quietly.

Solay was silent. Finally, she gave a reply. "Yes and no. My memories may help my friends survive the coming battle. Experience is the best teacher, right? It's not because I want them back…it's because I think they can help the whole world. I really need to see if Master Dialga has figured out a way to unblock my mind."

"I understand. I'll take it right away, and hopefully I'll be back before midnight. Will you return here?"

"Sure." Solay looked down, and something like sadness was in her eyes. She gave a smirk, but that looked sad too. "It's just really depressing when I look up at the stars at night…and I don't know where I belong."

…

And that's it for this chapter. I'm really really really really _really_ trying to figure things out here so I can update more often…


	19. A Promise is a Promise

Arceus help me, I've been such a stereotypical author… - Writing a whole bunch then vanishing off the face of the earth. If anyone is still reading, I want to give you a shout-out saying OH MY ARCEUS THANK YOU! 8D

…CHAPTER NINETEEN: A Promise is a Promise

Treecko's personality forced him back to the beach that night. Well, truthfully, it wasn't _just_ curiosity. That day was the first time he'd been in the Guild without Mudkip. Laying alone in the dark with her empty bed beside him was just too much. He kept seeing Mudkip sleeping there out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, he faced the cold reality of being alone. That by itself was enough to get him out of bed past midnight. So, once everything was quiet and he was sure everyone was asleep, he started his journey. He briefly poked his head in on the others to reconfirm that they were soundly asleep, then tiptoed into the main hall.

It was then that Treecko noticed how creepy the Guild was at night. Places that were normally well-lit in the day were now pitch-black and abnormally large. He hurried towards the ladders as fast as he dared, trying to ignore the creepy feeling everything was giving him. He nearly had a heart attack when he discovered Chatot perched on the top rung. Thankfully, Treecko remembered, from the time he'd peeked in Bidoof's diary, that this was where Chatot slept. He scuttled up the back wall, avoiding the ladder entirely and using the pads on his hands and feet. He thanked Arceus that he was a gecko.

Once outside, he noticed that _everything_ was different at night. The town didn't look anything like it did in the day. Nothing even remotely appeared like it actually was. The shadows were too long and dark for the mount of moonlight shining down. It was like an entirely different world.

"Get a grip, Treecko," he told himself in a whisper. "There's nothing here now that wasn't here during the day."

Treecko remembered a piece of advice that he'd heard from somewhere. If you hear something aloud, you're more apt to believe it. Still, Treecko couldn't help but be afraid of the dark. Too much of it had lurked in his partner's eyes…

Before going to the beach, Treecko went to Sharpedo Bluff. Carefully poking his head in, he discovered that Shadow was fast asleep but Solay was nowhere to be found. Now he just had to hope that Lapras hadn't arrived yet, and hurried off.

He was just in time. Lapras was just approaching when he set foot on the sand, and quickly hid so he could watch. Solay stood up from where she'd been standing and padded to the water's edge.

"What's the news?" the Vulpix asked, not wasting any time.

"Lord Dialga has arranged a Council meeting to address the threat," Lapras replied. "Everyone except you is in attendance. I've been told to bring you to the Hidden Land again, where the Council will hear your concerns."

"The entire Council?" Solay repeated, clearly surprised. "He assembled all of them within a day? That's an impressive feat. So they're waiting now?"

"Yes. We should leave without further delay to avoid upsetting them."

Treecko was completely lost. Council? Dialga? Hidden Land? This was way too complicated for him. He stopped trying to wrap his head around it and listened. Solay was speaking again.

"Well, yes, I suppose you're right… How long do we expect it to go on?"

Lapras sighed. "Who knows. The Council could take hours or days…but I doubt it will last more than one day. The threat is too real. They're going to discuss that too. Apparently, Lord Palkia has had a few scuffles with whoever attacked you as well."

Solay frowned. "Then this is serious. More so than I imagined… We could very well be heading for the next big crisis. Darkrai was bad enough…now it's happening again." She shook her head. "Well, I'm ready. We can't keep the Council waiting. But first… Treecko, come out from behind that rock."

He started. Caught. How had she known…? He rounded the rock, looking down guiltily. She was probably going to scold him for eavesdropping and spying. So much for a midnight adventure…

"Whatever you do, don't wander around alone."

Treecko lifted his head, astonished. Solay's voice was only slightly reprimanding. It was more like advice than a warning. "You're…not going to get mad at me?"

She shook her head, a faint smile crossing her face. "No, I can't blame you. The real reason you came out here was to get away from your memories, wasn't it?"

Treecko looked away. Solay had hit the proverbial nail on the head. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I don't know why you want your memories back…they're really hard to deal with." He had thought that she was going to reply right away, and when he didn't get an answer, he looked up.

Solay had bowed her head, the shadows hiding her eyes from view. Her shoulders were hunched and her paws clenched fistfuls of sand. Lapras wore a clearly sympathetic face. Treecko was alarmed and instantly guilty. He had touched a nerve.

"I see your logic, Treecko," she said without looking up. "Why remember something painful when you have to option to remain ignorant and peaceful for the rest of your life? That's a good question. I really don't have an answer…but… I just can't stand staying up every night and not knowing who I used to be. My life with Shadow is the only thing I know. What Grovyle and the others told me…is all I have of my life. Even if it's going to make my heart hurt even more when I think of who I lost then…I have to know. I feel it's my obligation to carry that weight and not just abandon everything I used to have. Perhaps this is like taking a step backwards, but it's a step I have to take to keep moving forward." She looked up and gave him a smile. "I have to look back just once…so I can move forward."

Treecko nodded. He understood. If he had the choice of forgetting everything about Mudkip or keeping his memory…he would choose to keep it. She had been the only one who believed in him before he came to the Guild and met Solay and Shadow. He had faith that her treason wasn't always just an act. He had to believe that there were times when she had sincerely been his friend, caring for his welfare. He _knew_ there were times.

"I think I understand," he said. "If I had the choice to forget Mudkip…I wouldn't. She was my only friend before you guys came along. Memories are the last things I have of her now. I don't want to loose them too."

She gave a nod. "That's right, Treecko. Don't give up. For now, make sure that someone from the Guild or Shadow is with you at all times. We don't know what they want. It's dangerous for you to be alone."

"And what about you?" he asked. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to pay a couple of old friends a visit," she replied. "They're going to help us out. If anyone knows who could be behind this, it's them. For now, just sit tight, all right?"

"What about Shadow?"

Solay hesitated, biting her lip. "If he asks where I've gone, just say I'm at a Council meeting. Otherwise, don't say anything. I'll try to be back before midday tomorrow, but no promises. Anyway, I need to go before my friends get impatient. They have very short tempers, you know."

Treecko couldn't resist a giggle. "You'll come back safely, right? You promise?"

She nodded, leaping onto Lapras' back. "I promise."

Treecko still wasn't assured. Solay saw that and jumped back down, padding over. She rested her muzzle briefly on his nose, then gave him a sort of hug with only her face. She had her head over his shoulder.

"Hey, a promise is a promise," she said softly. "I never break my promises. Never in a million years."

He wrapped his arms around her neck, hiding his face in her fur. Solay was doing so much for him and Mudkip, after she had gone through so much already. She was a real live hero, saving ordinary people like him. She cared for people so much…she was willing to carry the weight of her old memories for the chance that she may have information on what was happening today. She was willing to harden her heart and look through everything she had lost and never could get back to save them.

That was the mark of a _true_ hero.

Once he was calm enough to think again, he knew he had to let Solay go. She had a meeting to attend. He released his tight grip and let her step away. He met her gaze evenly. If she was going to be brave, so was he.

"You promised to come back safe," he stated. "Come back soon."

She smiled. "Sure. See you tomorrow, Treecko, and I'll bring good news." She leaped back up on Lapras' back once more, and without a backwards glance, she was off to the unknown. Treecko watched the duo until they disappeared from view, then turned to head home. It was time for bed…today had been a long day.

…

Yay, chapter nineteen. 8D Anyway, I'm on break now, so a few more chapters should be coming up soon…hopefully. *Shot*


	20. Isn't There Anything I Can Do?

Chapter twenty, yay! This is on of the few that will be from Solay's point of view, just so you're not confused. And it'll probably be a little weird reading, compared to others. O-o Oh yeah, and SPOLIER ALERT near the end. :3

…CHAPTER TWENTY: Isn't There Anything I Can Do?

Solay, to put it bluntly, was terrified of facing the Council. However, before that could be accurately said, one must know what the Council _is_ (because being afraid of something when you have no idea what it could turn out to be is silly). The Council consisted of all the legendary, god-like beings of the Pokémon world. Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus, Manaphy, and the list goes on. In this case, everyone but Darkrai would be in attendance. The Council were infamous for their ability to squabble among themselves for days and end up getting nothing done. And they were notorious for not being able to arrange a meeting in less than a week. Solay knew this because she had been the one to propose the idea to them after the threat of Darkrai. The Council's existence was supposed to eliminate the future threat of evil.

Well, apparently not.

Still, who wouldn't be frightened by a group of mostly gigantic Pokémon considered gods that you had to face alone? Not many people, she was fairly sure. Still, she felt that she would be able to reason with them and end the discussion before too much time was lost.

"Nervous?" Lapras inquired. They were just about to cross the line.

"Eh, maybe a little," Solay replied, settling herself more securely on his shell. She knew Lapras wouldn't let her fall, but still. Flying could be a bit unnerving sometimes…especially on the back of a turtle. It took less time then she remembered to reach the Hidden land, and even less to climb all the way up to Temporal Tower. Grimly, she remembered everything that had gone on here. _Soon, I'll know the truth…hopefully. _Upon arriving at the peak of the tower, her courage took a nosedive. _Oh, who am I kidding? I'm just a little Vulpix… Dialga and the others could squish me if I step out of line. Still…no turning back now._ She ventured forth, and arrived on the peak.

The first one she saw was Dialga. The next was Palkia, then Giratina and Arceus. Mew and the other smaller legendaries were floating around. Solay strode forward confidently until she was in the middle of the semicircle. They wouldn't see she was afraid.

"IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG, SOLAY," Dialga rumbled, dipping his head to her. "WE ARE GLAD YOU COULD COME."

"It's my pleasure, Lord Dialga," she replied, returning the respectful nod. "There is much to discuss. We'd best not waste time."

"Agreed," Arceus said. He came forward a few paces, surveying them all. "I hereby call this meeting open. Let us begin."

Solay knew she had to be careful. When dealing with official matters, the Council was often strict and spoke in formal dialogue. She had to be careful not to slip into normal speech when here, or she'd get the boot. Good thing she was good at that, though it was going to be a bit odd at first. With everyone speaking formally…it wasn't something she was used to, to put it bluntly. The next few hours were likely to be pretty awkward.

"A new threat is rising," Arceus stated. No one said a word while he was talking. "This threat is unknown but deadly. While we know next to nothing about _it_, it seems to know quite a bit about _us_. I know several of you have had encounters with envoys from them. Shaymin, you may speak."

The little green-and-white Pokémon came forward, lifting her chin. Shaymin might have been small, but she wasn't about to be outclassed by her bigger colleagues. "A bandit known as Umbreon came to Sky Peak not long ago. She demanded we surrender the mountain and leave the area. We refused, and just barely managed to fight her off. Since then, no threat has come to Sky Peak, but I fear for the future safety of its inhabitants and the land in general." Finished with her speech, she stepped back into line.

Arceus gave her a polite nod. "Your words are noted, Shaymin. Thank you for that insight. Palkia, you may speak."

Palkia only had to one step forward. Towering over most everyone else, the ruler of space was indeed an impressive sight. He blinked down at her before beginning. "A FEW SUNRISES AGO, I WAS VISITED BY A DUO BY THE NAMES OF ALAKAZAM AND GALLADE. THEY DEMANDED THAT I USE MY POWER TO AID THEIR PLANS. WHAT PLANS, THEY DIDN'T SAY, BUT I WAS SURE THAT THEY WERE UP TO NO GOOD, AND I REFUSED. THEY LEFT WITHOUT A FIGHT, BUT I, TOO, FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF THE WORLD." He stepped back, and Arceus came forward again.

"Thank you for your insight. Your words a noted, Palkia." He turned to Solay, and she could feel every pair of eyes now on her. "Solay, our honored guest. You alone are the one capable of attending these meetings. Your mental capacity is simply astounding, as we have all noted. Not many Pokémon could comprehend so many 'stories' in one place."

"Your praise is well-received, Lord Arceus," she replied, bowing low to him. _Don't mess this up, Solay! _"If I may inquire, you wish me to speak next?"

"I do, Solay. Speak up; we are all willing to listen. Your words will be held in high regard."

She rose to her full height, lifting her head. Sure, they might be bigger and stronger, but she was a time-traveling human. They had _nothing_ on her. Comforted with that thought, she told them everything, even how the Dimensional Scream, which had been dormant for years, was now returning again. She told them how her memory was still missing, and how it might help to quell the new threat. She also told them her suspicions of who was in charge. When she was finished, there was silence.

"Your wisdom is welcomed, Solay, and your words are noted," Arceus finally said. "You have given us much to think about over the next few days. However, for the sake of time, I suggest we all think about this separately, and not as a group."

"And as for my memory, Lord Arceus?" Solay inquired. Her heart was beating fast now. What would he say? That he'd found a way to restore it?

He turned his head to her. "As for your memory, I don't know. The Passage of Time was closed while you were inside. Never had such a thing been done before. You lost your memory, and were transformed into a Vulpix. You, who came from the future, were trapped in _this_ world, and you can never go back. I'm afraid I don't know how you can get your memories back…if ever."

This…wasn't what she'd been hoping to hear. Despair flooded her heart, and icy cold swept over her body. "Isn't there anything I can do?" she protested. "Anything, anything at all? Lord Arceus, please…there must be _something_…!"

"Solay." She stopped babbling, ashamed, and hung her head. He approached, bending his neck to face her directly. "I know how much pain this is putting you through," he said softly. "I wish there was something I could do, but I simply do not have all the answers right now. If I find anything that could even help a little, I'll find you. I swear it."

Solay gave a nod, still looking at the ground. Arceus had sworn, and she held him to his word. "Yes, Lord Arceus… I apologize for my outburst."

"Apology accepted, but not needed." He lifted his head, surveying them all. "I therefore call this meeting to a close. Consider the threat on your own. If you find anything out, contact each other and spread the news. If there is a choice of who to tell first, be it I or Solay, choose Solay. She has dealt with situations like this before, while we stood idly by and were used. She alone had the courage not to face us once but twice. She faced us once in the future, her real home, and once here, where she was running on instinct alone. Her partners, first Grovyle and then Shadow, were fueled by her determination, and worked alongside her to restore peace to the world. Now, that peace is threatened. We must band together and defeat it before everything is lost. Go now, and think of what has been said."

The Council members slowly dispersed. They went their own ways until only Dialga and Solay remained. Once she was sure the coast was clear, Solay hugged the ground, trembling.

"WHAT AILS YOU, SOLAY?" Dialga asked, lowering his head. "YOU DON'T LOOK WELL."

"I'm just glad it's over," she replied, giving him an unsure smile. "I was sure Lord Arceus was going to have my head…"

He nosed her. "YOU DID WELL, HATCHLING. YOUR WORDS BRING MUCH KNOWLEDGE TO THE WORLD. I HOPE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO RESTORE YOU MEMORY SOON. I WILL SEARCH THE DEPTHS OF MY POWER FOR A WAY."

"Thank you, Lord Dialga," she said, getting to her feet and heading for the tower exit. She paused at the exit. "If I may…can you answer one thing for me?"

"WHAT IS IT YOU WISH, SOLAY?"

She hesitated. This could be overstepping the lines but… "Grovyle…has he disappeared from existence, like I did? Or is he…still alive? And Celebi, and Dusknoir. Are they…all right? Are they happy?"

Dialga was silent for a long time. She didn't dare turn around, in case he was angry. After a long, long time, she felt the sun rising. With the first rays, a strange feeling washed over her. The wind blew softly, and with it was a swiftly carried message. A message on the wind…

"_Solay! Shadow! We're all right, we made it out alive. I don't know if you can hear me right now…but I'm sending you this message from the future. A message on the wind and sun… We're _alive_!"_

Solay dissolved into tears. She could feel their shapes right behind her, faintly. She didn't dare turn around, because she knew they weren't actually there. She savored the idea that they were so close yet so far away… Every time the sun rose, they would be with her.

"I THINK YOU ALREADY KNOW."

…

Yay, chapter done~


	21. Trust Me

Chapter twenty-one, how exciting…~! In other words, I've had practically no time to work on this…and I'm surprised anyone is still reading. :/ Oh well. On with the show, huh? Enjoy! Look for the special note at the bottom. ;D

…CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Trust Me

Treecko could hardly sleep. One, because he was alone, and two because Solay was off somewhere facing something he didn't understand to try and save the world…again. Treecko was reminded that Solay, though still in the prime of her life, wasn't as young as she was three years ago. And in her life, this would be the third time she'd saved the world.

But could she actually do it?

_Of course she can, stop thinking like that, _he said to himself. _Everything's going to turn out fine. Solay's going to save us. She's gonna save me and Bidoof and Sunflora and Loudred…and Mudkip too. We're all going to be okay. I have to trust her._

Finally finding a semi-comforting thought, Treecko drifted off.

…**T**he **N**ext **M**orning

The sun rose just like any other day, and Loudred was just as loud as usual. Treecko tottered out of bed, grumbling. Why did he have to get up at this Arceus-forsaken hour, anyway? It wouldn't do any harm to sleep in for a couple minutes. But _noooo_…every day, on the dot, Loudred came in, bellowing, "WAKE UP! IT'S MORNING!" The only thing missing was Mudkip, but Treecko forced himself not to think about that. With a bit of luck, he could get through the day without thinking about her.

Once the morning briefing was finished, Treecko headed over to Chatot. No matter how much he wanted to avoid talking about Mudkip, he had a problem. Now he was only a one-man-team, and that was dangerous.

"Um, Chatot…I have a question…"

The musical bird cocked his head, squinting. "Ah, yes. But before we address that, Solay has returned. She's waiting on the beach for you. Shadow's with her, you should go."

Treecko was confused. Now what? "Wait, what are you talking about? The beach, what…"

Chatot flapped his wings. "Stop babbling!" Once Treecko clamped his jaw shut, he went on. "Last night, Solay went to meet with the Council of Legendary Pokémon atop Temporal Tower in the Hidden Land. It's useless to try to comprehend what it would be like to be surrounded by all the gods of our world, so I won't try to describe it. Anyway, she went to find way to get her memory back, and she's waiting for you."

_Oh, that's right,_ Treecko realized as he headed for the ladders. _So that's where she went last night… Wow. All of the legendary Pokémon… I'd better hurry. Solay's waiting for me._

He arrived (finally) and spotted Solay and Shadow instantly. Lapras was nowhere in sight. Solay was talking to her partner too softly to hear, and didn't seem to have noticed him yet. Treecko came closer, so he could hear.

"…least, that's what I think Lord Dialga was implying," she was saying. "I have this feeling…right here…" She raised a paw, resting it on her chest, over her heart. "…I just know that Grovyle and the others are okay somewhere in the future. I just know it."

Shadow nodded. "I know. I feel it too…perhaps not as strongly as you, but I do. Anyway, Treecko's here, or did you not notice?"

She turned, smiling. "Hey, there. Nice of you to come. I'm sorry to bring this up, but I need you to tell me something, Treecko. Has Mudkip ever said anything to you that seemed odd at the time? Anything at all?"

Treecko had to think. Everything he'd ever done with Mudkip… It was painful to see all these memories flashing through his mind, but he kept it together. If it would help bring her back, he could withstand anything. As he got closer and closer to the betrayal, he noticed something… One day, he'd walked in on Mudkip alone in their room, talking to seemingly no one. Her voice had been the same cold sneer that it had on the top of the Great Oak. When he entered the room…no one was there, and she quickly turned cheery again.

"Come to think of it, there was one time…" He recounted the situation to Solay, who was now deep in thought.

"So, talking to a shadow messenger, eh? Or something of the sort… I bet a ghost type could vanish like that." She made a face. "Did she say anything you can recall, Treecko?"

He thought harder, then nodded. "Yeah, um… 'Sorry this is taking so long, sire. I'm doing my best something something something and I'll try to bring him as soon as possible. The Vulpix might be catching on, we'll have to be careful.' Then something like 'he's here' and a name starting with M with 'Lord' in front of it… And that's it."

"'M,' huh…?" Solay closed her eyes. "A ghost-type starting with M…" It was like a bolt of lighting shot through her. "Of course…I know who she was talking to. At least, I'm seventy percent sure…I'll keep my suspicions to myself for my now." Determination settled across her face. "But I know where we need to go. Pack your bags, Treecko, we're heading for Eternal Depths."

Treecko just wore a dumbstruck look. "Eternal…Depths?"

Solay caught herself. "Oh, right, sorry. I forgot you haven't been there. Eternal Depths is in the most remote location on the…how to describe this…the continuous land. The whole big place we live on, not including the islands, okay? It's high up in a mountain, behind a hidden pass. It goes down the entire mountain and down into the earth, seemingly forever, until it empties into a huge cavern. It's really pretty, but our chief bandit types thrive there. Ghost-, psychic-, and dark-types all love it there. And…they're all strong. It would be the prefect place for an evil organization to hide out."

"Well, that sounds all fine and dandy, but what about my Guild work?" Treecko protested once she had finished. "Wigglytuff is gonna kill me if I come along with you."

"Shadow will take care of that," she dismissed. "You can come with me to repair. Shadow, we'll meet back at the Bluff once we're done. Good?"

"Good," he confirmed. "Have fun, you two." Without another word, he headed off with an easy, loping stride.

Solay gave Treecko a smile. "Hey, don't worry, okay? I promised that we would get Mudkip back, and we will. Let's go beat some bad guys. Walk with me."

He walked with her, but disturbing thoughts kept distracting him. "But what if she's too far gone to save?" he protested in a weak tone. "What if we can't defeat them? What if we lose?"

"Treecko, listen to me." She locked her gaze with his. "No one is too far gone to save. Everyone can return from the darkness. No matter how bad things seem to be, no matter how hopeless the situation, there's always one little spark to cling to. Shadow taught me that when we were trapped in the future…my real time. We were surrounded. Grovyle, Celebi, and I had all given up hope… But Shadow came through. He found the way out when I couldn't. Don't ever say someone can't be saved…because it's not true." She paused, letting that sink in. "Your other questions…they're based on 'what if'. Well, what if I was to die tomorrow? What then? It's a very real possibility that we could lose, but if we believe we can, then there's that much more of a chance that we can _win_." When she saw he wasn't quite convinced, she grinned again. "Trust me, okay? We'll be fine. Everything will go back to normal soon. I promise."

Treecko returned the smile with a faint one of his own. "Okay…I trust you. Don't break your promise."

"I won't."

They had nearly reached Treasure Town when Treecko remembered why Solay had gone to the Council the night before. "Any luck with your memories?"

She shook her head. "None," she replied with a bitter note. "They're working on it, but closing the portal while I was still inside had never been done before…" At his baffled face, she laughed. "Never mind the details. Let's just get ready to go. It'll take us forever to reach the entrance to Eternal Depths anyway."

Treecko had to agree. As they set about gathering the stuff they needed, Solay's words rang in his head with a sort of ominous echo…

_Trust me._

…

End~ Okay, so, if you know (or think you know) who the villain is, DON'T SAY IT! :3 Send me a message or something if you want to guess, but I'm not telling.

**Special Note: **Okay, so I know this fanfic isn't exactly popular and I'm not promising anything, but I was curious if any of you would be interested in Black Hole Sun becoming an animated series. I've been thinking about it for a long time now, but before I commit to anything I wanted to know if you'd like it. So, drop me a line/review! Tell me what you'd think!


	22. IMPORTANT! Author's Note

A note to the readers:

Okay guys, I seem to have left you hanging yet again. If any of you are actually still out there, I'd like to let you know I'm slowly but surely chipping away at this fic again, but rather than a chapter a week, you'll be lucky to get one by the end of this month. e_e So there's that. I just wanted to let you know I'm alive.

Once chapter twenty-two is finished, I'll delete this and replace it with the actual chapter. It's about half done, but I'm just rereading the entire thing to get a bearing of how I wanted the story to move along.

Best wishes,

Foxxy.


End file.
